


Arrowthorne's Heart Haikyuu X Female Reader

by simpingforsoftboys



Series: Fantasy Haikyuu AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cross-Posted on Quotev, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Protagonist, Fivesome - F/M/M/M/M, Foursome - F/M/M/M, Homeless Kozume Kenma, Homeless Kuroo Tetsurou, I can write for nearly everyone BUT karasuno istg, I might add Sakusa but no Komori, Inspired by The Legend of Zelda, Inspired by fire emblem, Karasuno May Not Be Love Interests, Knight Iwaizumi Hajime, Knight Kindaichi Yuutarou, Knight Miya Atsumu, Knight Tendou Satori, Librarian Yahaba Shigeru, M/M, Mage Semi Eita, Mage Suna Rintarou, Male-Female Friendship, More tags to be added as story progresses, Multi, NO OSAMU AND ATSUMU ARE NOT INCESTUOUS ONLY SHARE SAME PARTNERS, No Incest, Nobility Kuroo Tetsurou, Nobility Miya Atsumu, Nobility Miya Osamu, Nobility Semi Eita, Nobility Suna Rintarou, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Possible Character Death, Prince Kita Shinsuke, Prince Oikawa Tooru, Prince Ushijima Wakatoshi, Soldier Miya Atsumu, Sorry Komori fans, Sorry SakuAtsu fans no SakuAtsu here, Threesome - F/M/M, Updates Monthly, maybe you can get with kiyoko because I love her, we will see
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28470855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpingforsoftboys/pseuds/simpingforsoftboys
Summary: (Name) Arrowthorne is a noblewoman, a skilled mage, a player, and an experienced adventurer. She's known worldwide for her exploits (as well as her brief relationships with many important people). She literally cannot catch a break and keeps getting caught up in problematic plots. This is her story of adventure, heroism, piety, and love.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Reader, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru/Reader, Iwaizumi Hajime/Reader, Kita Shinsuke/Miya Atsumu, Kita Shinsuke/Miya Atsumu/Miya Osamu, Kita Shinsuke/Miya Atsumu/Miya Osamu/Reader, Kita Shinsuke/Miya Atsumu/Miya Osamu/Suna Rintarou/Reader, Kita Shinsuke/Miya Osamu, Kita Shinsuke/Reader, Kita Shinsuke/Suna Rintarou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader, Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu, Miya Atsumu/Miya Osamu/Reader, Miya Atsumu/Miya Osamu/Suna Rintarou, Miya Atsumu/Reader, Miya Atsumu/Suna Rintarou, Miya Osamu/Reader, Miya Osamu/Suna Rintarou, Oikawa Tooru/Reader, Semi Eita/Reader, Semi Eita/Tendou Satori, Semi Eita/Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Semi Eita/Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi/Reader, Semi Eita/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Suna Rintarou/Reader, Tendou Satori/Reader, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Ushijima Wakatoshi/Reader
Series: Fantasy Haikyuu AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2085429
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	1. Prologue

* * *

**T** he air hummed with magic, ribbons of gold, white, and silver swirled around (Name) as her (color) eyes searched the runic text for more spells. This tome in particular came from the Inarizaki Empire, she had uncovered it within a hidden temple that was built for the ancient Fox Goddess of old. It's pages were yellow with age and smelled as strongly as the royal library within Shiratorizawa's Capital. Which said a lot about its true worth, she thought. Despite priding herself on the countless deciphering spells she knew, only a few of them were able to help her translate even a single word of the text. With a long suffering sigh she shut the tome and willed her magic away, the light around her fading. Apparently she would need to visit Shinsuke soon, doubting that she could decipher even a single sentence on her own. Even with the translation scroll Rintaro had gifted her... she wasn't able to make much progress. 

(Name) had met Inarizaki's crown prince nearly two years ago. A year ago (as she has been at home for about a year now) she had received a letter requesting her expertise with magic. It had been a difficult year for sure, one where she had to search for the original temple of Inari (the Fox Goddess who was Inarizaki's namesake), undo a curse on the very people who had began the three year war between the clans of Johzenji and Inarizaki Empire, and convince the entire population of aforementioned Empire that she was NOT Inari reborn-- despite having received a blessing from the fox goddess herself. Now, a year later, (Name) found herself back in her home territory,-House Arrowthorne's lands- researching the thing she loved most- magic. 

Heaving a sigh, (Name) finally moved to her plush down feather bed and sank into the covers. A whisper later, all the candles were blown out and she found herself falling into a deep sleep. Had she known what tomorrow would bring, she probably would have entered a magically induced comma- since it would take her months before she was able to deal with the drama dawn would bring.

* * *


	2. CH1: Another Prince In Distress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic was originally posted over on Quotev, but I decided that I wanted to cross post here! You can find it under the same title and by the same user over there!

* * *

**D** awn approached far too quickly, (Name) thought. Sunlight seeped through the small openings in her silk curtains, rousing her from her pleasant slumber. 'Breakfast won't even be for another hour... they're probably still baking.' Attempts to sleep once more were futile, her years of traveling made sure of that. When you were out and about traversing the lands, one didn't have the luxury of falling back asleep. With a heavy, long suffering sigh, (Name) rose from her soft haven and began changing into her trousers and a white dress shirt. 

"I'm so glad to be back in Wanderia." She murmured, enjoying the barely noticeable weight of her silk shirt. For her time, Wanderia was one of a handful of countries that didn't deem women in trousers inappropriate. In fact, their women were encouraged to experiment with fashion... something about practicality being the top priority for everyone- no matter the class or rank. That's not to say that Wanderian's were sloppily dressed- heavens no- they were possibly some of the most well dressed. Many people had the luxury of new clothing and high quality materials here, something that other nations, again, lacked. 

"I love Shinsuke... but his peoples clothing standards are just... not it." (Name) shivered as she remembered the soft, yet weighty kimono that she had been forced to don back in Inarizaki. Kita had made sure to only dress her in the finest garb hand made by the royal tailors, however, she hated every second wearing them. It was the polite thing to do, seeing as she was a foreigner, and the shy/awestruck look the prince had at the sight of her nearly made the experience worth it. Her heart twinged at the thought, Kita was well loved and she could understand why. He was a very gentle soul and spoke truthfully. Because of this it had been hard to _not_ accept the offer to join his royal harem (which included a pair of twins from a noble house and a lazy scholar; which she also found herself attracted to and amused by) and leave the Empire. However, she decided to leave anyway- her hunger for adventure not fully satiated. 

* * *

_"I hope you know that you will always be welcome here." Shinsuke said. It had been the night after the (third and final) celebration which had been held in (Name)'s honor. She had spent the first few days of peace within the prince's (and by extension his harem's) arms. It was a good five days, having spent it being fed well by Osamu, sleepily cuddling with Suna, training with Atsumu, and accompanying Kita to important meetings about the state of the Empire- all of that in no particular order. The four men were completely and totally head over heels for her- which wasn't surprising since she had been in the imperial palace for a little over a year now- and wanted nothing less than to make her the Empress of Inarizaki._

_(Name) was in the royal library again, taking a break after a strenuous sparring session with Atsumu. Papers were scattered all over the table, not a single area was uncovered. The library wasn't usually busy during this time of day, so she was currently the only one there. The girl was attempting to use some of the scrolls to translate the runes in one of her newly obtained tomes. So focused on her task, she had failed to notice the tall brunette slide into the seat across of her._

_"Why are you so dead set on leaving?"_

_She startled, hands raised and ready to cast on a moments notice. Her (color) eyes met his tired, feline like ones. There was a silence between them. Nothing was spoken but the room felt loud, as though she was stuck in Wanderia's capitol listening to the booming laughter and conversations of the hundreds of people around her._

_"I can't stay Rin-Rin..." The emotions she could see in his eyes was unexplainable; hurt, confusion, and longing all in one pool of dull gray-yellow. (Name)'s heart hurt at the sight. His brows furrowed and he seemed to curl in on himself slightly, though he managed to straighten his shoulders and lean forward._

_"But you can. We all want you here. Even the people- so why are you leaving after everything we've been through?" He tried to seem as though he could care less but she heard the quiver in his voice._

_"Rintaro." It was Shinsuke- shit. The prince was flanked by the Miya twins, Osamu was carrying a tray of onigiri and Atsumu was still caked in dirt from the training yard. Kita took a seat on (Name)'s right, while Atsumu sat on her left, Osamu chose to sit beside Suna. "We spoke about this." He was being truthful, they had._

_"I'm sorry your highness," Suna apologized sarcastically, not sounding sorry at all. "But (Name) hasn't told us why... how can I not acknowledge that?" Kita's gaze narrowed and he looked as if he wanted to scold his lover._

_"Kita... he's right. (Name)... do we not... make ya happy?" Atsumu asked, holding her hand in his. (Name) frowned at this and lifted his knuckles to her lips, uncaring if they were caked in dirt and grime._

_"Of course you four make me happy... I don't think I've been this happy in a long while." No one said anything, waiting for her to continue. "But I can't be the person you want me to be. I'm not made to be an Empress of a powerful empire... or all lady like and proper. I- my home... is Wanderia. And as much as I feel at home with you all... I just..."_

_"You have to be someone else with us." Osamu helped, immediately understanding. "It's okay. I just wish ya didn't have to feel that way."_

_**The day after** that conversation, she had boarded a ship for Wanderia. Kita had been able to join the others in seeing her off on the dock. Tears were shed from the royal household and onlookers alike, watching their foreign heroine depart in silence. They had shared good bye kisses on the carriage, away from the prying eyes that watched their every move. Here, Shinsuke thanked her for her service to his people, Atsumu told her to have fun adventuring and to send him letters, Osamu saw her off with a hug and an array of freshly packed bentos (which he had someone charm a stasis spell on so they would stay fresh for a year), and Suna presented her with a scroll of translations for ancient runes unique to the Inarizaki Empire._

_"Visit soon (Name). You'll always have a home with us." They had told her and she believed them. Though she couldn't help but feel guilty at the sight of their heartbroken expressions. They- Rintaro, Atsumu, Osamu, and Shinsuke- were in love with her. And while she liked- maybe even loved- them too, it wasn't to the extent that they did her. So she bade them good bye without telling them that she 'loved' them and boarded the ship. Perhaps someday... if her heart decided that it wanted them too..._

* * *

_**-Knock-** _

_**-Knock-** _

"Miss (Name) there is a letter for you today. The messenger said it was urgent and insisted on delivering it to you in person." (Name)'s eyes widened, a message so important that it needed to be brought to her directly? That was never a good sign. 

"Let them in." There was silence on the other side of the door, as if the servant was hesitating. In hindsight it probably wasn't the most polite thing to do... letting a guest into her private quarters like that. But (Name) didn't particularly care at the moment. 

The door opened and in came a male, he had the oddest hair cut... it reminded her of a radish... hmm maybe a turnip. His armor wasn't normal for a messenger, instead he wore what seemed to be the [standard uniform](https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Subaki) for pegasus knights from The Kingdom of Seijoh. (Name) could feel herself dreading his message. 

"Apologies for the intrusion. I'm Kindaichi Yutaro- 21st division of Seijoh's sky knights. I come bearing a message directly from his royal highness, Prince Oikawa of Seijoh: first in line to the throne, addressed to (Name) of House Arrowthorne." Ah so that's what they called the pegasus knights... now that she thought of it, a male sky knight was incredibly rare. Pegasi usually preferred female riders.

"Right, well, you found me. How can I aid his highness?" She smiled at him kindly but that didn't seem to help with his nerves at all.

"Prince Oikawa of Seijoh requests your help in identifying the cause behind the demonic beast attacks that have been plaguing the royal capitol. All expenses will be paid and you shall be provided with anything you need to do so. Please consider it." Kindaichi shuddered slightly as he felt the woman's gaze on him. She was silent for a long moment before humming idly.

"Hmm... I'll consider it... if you accompany me to breakfast." Poor Kindaichi nearly passed out from nerves but remained composed, he nodded stiffly saying 'of course,' ...there was no way he was going to fail his mission.

**A Sky Knight and Breakfast**

"Thank you very much for your generosity." Kindaichi said gratefully as he observed the strange meal in front of him. Wanderia's food was so odd compared to Seijoh's. Apparently they didn't have salmon, miso soup, and rice for breakfast here. Instead he was served a piece of bread that the server had called a 'croissant,' over easy eggs, a variety of meats like sausage and bacon, and a mixed fruit salad, along with a glass of 'orange juice.'

"Of course please enjoy." (Name) responded pleasantly, he found her tone reassuring, and soon he was a lot more relaxed. She didn't stare at him expectantly like most noblewomen would, instead she busied herself with buttering her croissant. The two of them enjoyed their meal in silence for a few minutes. "If I'm to aid the royal family I will need to bring my mount." 

Kindaichi blinked.

Once.

Twice. 

Thrice.

Until finally her words registered in his mind. 

"Right! *ahem* If you don't mind me asking... what sort of horse do you have?" He attempted to use small talk to get more information out of her (a tactic he's seen his senior knights use many times). Unfortunately her answer was not what he expected.

"I actually ride a [wyvern](https://www.pngfind.com/mpng/ibobxhm_camilla-fire-emblem-wyvern-hd-png-download/). Her name is Camilla and she is the sweetest! Don't worry though she's seen many demonic beasts so she can take it." (Name)'s croissant buttering seemed to speed up as she spoke about her 'baby' passionately. Kindaichi found himself paling rapidly, wyvern and pegasi weren't known to be all that fond of each other... hell wyvern weren't known to get along with almost any creatures.

"A wyvern?"

"Hm? Oh, have you not seen one before? I suppose that makes sense... they are native to Shiratorizawa and Wanderia... but Shiratorizawa borders Seijoh..." 

He shook his head quickly, embarrassed that she drew that conclusion. "Sorry it's not that, I was just surprised is all. That'll be fine, we actually have an area for wyverns back in the Castle Stables." Seeing the reassured expression she sported, the sky knight let out a quiet sigh in relief. "Is there anything else?"

The adventurer was silent before she shook her head. "No, I think that will be it besides my clothing and some of my books... tell me do you have any more information regarding the issue?" Internally, the Seijoh soldier face palmed, feeling like he should have shared the information with her before she agreed to help. With a nod, Kindaichi retrieved the messenger bag that rested at his feet and handed the letter over to her.

"Apologies, I should have given this to you sooner." In response, the pretty (hair color) waved him off with a laugh, before picking up the letter gently.

**_Lady (Name) Arrowthorne of House Arrowthorne,_**

**_The royal Oikawa house of Seijoh requests your aid in dealing with an uprise in demonic beasts within Seijoh's capitol. We understand that you have much experience with exterminating such creatures due to your past- Shiratorizawa's Accursed Uprising being one of them- and have heard many great things about you. Anything you will need will be provided; including soldiers and mercenaries should you require them. If you accept these terms and decide to aid us, please journey to Seijoh with our messenger, Sir Kindaichi of our 21st Sky Knight Division, there will be a royal ship awaiting you two at the docks. Please see below for more details._ **

**_Hello, I hope you've been having a relaxing break! I have heard of your exploits in Inarizaki Empire and I must say I am quite impressed. If you wouldn't mind lending your talents to Seijoh that'd be splendid. But anyways, I digress, the whole point of me writing this is to explain the current Demonic Beast situation. My full title is His Highness, the Heir of Oikawa, First in Line to the Seijoh Throne: Prince Toru Oikawa, but none of that matters for my kingdom is in danger. The[beasts](https://serenesforest.net/tag/demonic-beasts/) started appearing three months ago in the Blue Forest- which borders our Castle Town. They were small at first, perhaps only the size of foals, and resembled ground moles. However, as time went by more began to pour out from the area. Wolves, birds, and giant lizard beasts are all different types of creatures that have rained havoc on my people. Despite having combed through Blue Forest over and over again, contacting all the greatest mages and holy men, and defeating all the brutes sent our way, we have been unable to discover the root of the problem. The only thing we are sure of is that they are the work of a group of dark mages- and each beast we have slaughtered was branded by a [strange symbol](https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Those_Who_Slither_in_the_Dark). I wish we had more information to provide but sadly we do not. As of right now we hired a well known mercenary group to aid us in our search, I believe you've worked with them before in the Uprising, the Karasuno Mercenary Group? Again, if you do accept our request, anything else you need will be given to you. Thank you for your time. _ **

**_His Highness,_ **

**_Prince Oikawa of Seijoh_ **

(Name) could only stare in horror at the sketch of the symbol that the beasts had been branded with. It was the very same symbol that the ones in Shiratorizawa had borne all those years ago. She thanked the goddess of Wanderia that Karasuno would be working with her once more, but also prayed that they could finally uncover the root of the problem. 

"I see. This is worse than I thought. We will leave tomorrow at dawn." 

****


	3. AU Info

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: (This is pasted from the Quotev chapter) Hey so ya'll are probably wondering why I didn't include this BEFORE the prologue but the truth is because I wasn't too sure how I wanted the whole AU to be. Now though I can say that a lot of the lore/inspiration for this fanfiction is from Nintendo's Legend of Zelda and Fire Emblem series's. So if any of you have played those games you might notice the connection. I'll be making periodic (new) 'notes' to further explain any important details as the story progresses... but I'm kinda just pulling everything out of my ass so haha. The characters might be OOC because of the sheer amount of them that there are AND because I only watch the anime so please bear with me. If you have any constructive criticism please leave it in the comments- it's greatly appreciated! 

* * *

1\. (Name) Arrowthorne

-First daughter born to Count Arrowthorne of House Arrowthorne.

-Second in line to head of House Arrowthorne

-Heroine of Inarizaki (and Johzenji but that's not as important); helped end the three years war between the two and received a blessing from Inari.

-Unknown relationship with the royal family of Shiratorizawa (for now)

-She falls in love easily and holds many people close to her heart. Despite loving many she never forgets them and instead cherished each and every one of them

-Sort of has dependency issues, and commitment issues

-Skilled in white (holy), black (not evil, more violent) magic, and even dabbles with dark magic (more involved with things like necromancy and more 'evil' and forbidden)

-Whilst she is a skilled mage she is also skilled with battle axes and wields an enchanted axe called Moon Splitter. 

-Moon Splitter has special abilities (which will be revealed later...) 

-Has a 'adorable' wyvern named Camilla, which she rides into battle

2\. Wanderia: (Name's Home Country)

-Literally based on the English word "wander."

-Is divided into different territories, each of which are ruled by a certain house (ex. House Arrowthorne)

-Wyverns are native to Wanderia, but are most commonly found in Arrowthorne lands

-Each head of house is a part of the country wide alliance which is basically a 'league' of noblemen/women who work together to govern the country. While the heads of houses have primary control over their territories, they still have to abide by the rules that the alliance sets for them. (Think America, except no president and the states are the individual houses). There is no leader however there is a hierarchy system among the houses- Arrowthorne is one of the highest ranking ones. The lesser houses usually follow the higher ranking ones lead.

-Wanderia's people have access to public education and are skilled in all sorts of magical arts. They are also one of the most advanced in terms of technology- which they enhance with their magic. 

-This nation does not specialize in a certain profession and many of it's citizens travel all around the world. 

-None of the 'important' nations (aka the ones where our love interests reside) are nearby, Wanderia is literally all by themselves in the middle of the ocean XD. The Haikyu continent (where the entire cast is) is across the ocean from them. 

3\. Inarizaki Empire (FE fans think Hoshido)

-An Empire that is a predominately farmer nation, though they also have an incredibly strong military (but not Navy). 

-Located on the coast line but has fertile land that spreads out to east which is ideal for farming.

-Kinshi (which are like gigantic rideable birds from the fire emblem series) are native to this location and are utilized by the military.

-Their people are kind and simple but not too bright.

-Shinsuke Kita is the crown prince. 

-However, his grandmother is the current ruling emperor (they call her that and not empress because she is ruling alone rn)

-In his peoples tradition the next in line can only inherit the throne once the current ruler is either dead or incapacitated.

-Aran is his personal guard but isn't mentioned in the previous chapters due to him not being a love interest.

-Kita is a masterful warrior though he was not allowed to fight in the three year war with Johzenji due to him being the only heir to the throne.

-Osamu, Atsumu, and Suna are his "royal consorts"

-Miya twins are from a noble family that is well known for producing skilled soldiers. Marriage was proposed as a sign of loyalty to the throne. Usually girls fill this role but since they only bore sons they offered them instead. 

-Atsumu is skilled with many different weapons (katana, naginata, tanto, etc.)

-Osamu is just as skilled as Atsumu but spends more of his time in the kitchen than training.

-Suna is from a noble family also. His family are well acclaimed scholars, though he also has ninja relatives among them. In additon to being well learned in Inarizaki holy magic, he also has martial arts and archery training and is skilled with kunai.

4\. The Kingdom of Seijoh (Nintendo fans think Botw's Zora or Fe Fates Nestra)

-A beautiful kingdom located beside the coast and borders snowy mountains. It is known for their skilled navy. Their soldiers specialize in aerial combat and are said to fight as fluidly and gracefully as a performers dance. Oddly enough they are also famous for their masterful arts programs and are the home of many famous painters, singers, dancers, and poets.

-Toru Oikawa is the first in line to take the throne. He has a reputation of being a flirt, and while this is true he prioritizes the well being of his kingdom over frivolous women. 

-White winged pegasi are native to Seijoh and are domesticated and breed for combat

-However, pegasi are fearful of men and are generally used by women

-Kindaichi seems to be an exception

-Demonic Beasts: apparently from the same group as the ones from Shiratorizawa. Have begun plaguing Seijoh three months before Chapter 1.

**_-More information about this region will be revealed in later entries_ **

5\. The Kingdom of Shiratorizawa 

-A kingdom to the east of Seijoh

-(Name) fought alongside the royal family and Karasuno Mercenaries in the Accursed Uprising.

-Accursed Uprising: Took place exactly one year before (Name)'s adventure in Inarizaki. Started by a mysterious group of mages who had been experimenting with Demonic Beasts. These mages unleashed chaos by releasing their creations all over Shiratorizawa lands. (Name) was able to find the source of the problem but it seems that they have other hideouts in other nations. 

_**-More information about this region will be revealed in later entries**_

6\. Karasuno Mercenaries 

-A mercenary group for hire

-There are only 16 mercenaries apart of the group

-They worked alongside (Name) during the Shiratorizawa Accursed Uprising

-Very skilled in all forms of combat

_**-More information about this group will be revealed at a later date** _

* * *


	4. CH2: The Kingdom of Morning Glories

* * *

**(N** ame) and Kindaichi stood in silence as they neared Seijoh's [main port](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/mqzeg1). The castle town had been built around it, since it was this port where the kingdom welcomed most of their visitors or returning merchants. (Name) was awestruck as she took in the turquoise tile that decorated each buildings roofs, glistening under the sunlight. Though they were still a distance away she could see the large crowds that occupied the docks, their chatter so loud that she was able to hear faint bits of it from the ship. Sky knights traversed the skies overhead, making sure everyone was safe and business continued in an orderly manner. This wasn't her first time in Seijoh's capitol, however, it was such a lovely place that it never failed to leave her breathless. 

Since this was a royal vessel, they did not dock in the main harbor. Instead the captain eased the ship into a large port that was made solely for the royal fleet. (Name) could only watch as they sailed beneath the large arch which bore the royal families crest and came to a stop in the wide docking area. It was nearly overwhelming however, her noble upbringing ensured she remained composed. It wasn't like she hadn't seen such grandeur before after all. She was (Name) Arrowthorne- a rich aristocrat born and raised, who had befriended royal families all across the globe, luxury was a close friend of hers. But something about the atmosphere made her heart stutter in her chest.

"Lady (Name), Prince Oikawa and his retainers will be down there." Kindaichi held out a hand, gesturing to the reigns she was holding tightly in her fisted hands. "I will bring Camilla to the royal stables... if you don't mind." 

"Of course, take good care of her for me. Thank you for your help, Kindaichi." She handed him the reigns and lifted her dress up so that she was able to dismount the ship. (Name) didn't like dresses unless they were easy to move in, however, she wanted to make a good impression. Her dress was floor length, made of duchess satin silk, with a cinched waist, and long trumpet sleeves. It was a flattering champagne tint and was paired with two inch suide boots (which weren't visible unless she lifted her skirt). Compared to most of the dresses she wore this was one of the lighter ones. Her favorite part of this dress was that she had the seamstress stitch special runes into the hem so that it would never touch the floor and appear as if she was gliding. In short, she looked just as her rank called for- the definition of grace and feminine beauty.

In front of the ramp stood a tall and attractive brunette, he was dressed in a fine white tunic which had a cyan sash draped across his upper torso, matching shade of leggings, and expensive leather shoes. Behind him was (presumably) his retainer. The [man](https://pin.it/57nI1dB) was also attractive, though he was shorter than his prince. The guard had lovely tan skin and dark, near black hair. (Name) recognized his high ranking from the intricate designs of his suit (what do you call it?). Once she stepped down from the ramp she slipped into a graceful curtsey, her head tilted ever so slightly, deep enough that it was respectful but not enough to take her eyes off of him completely. 

"No need for that you're a guest here!" The prince- Oikawa was it- brushed her greeting aside and instead urged her to rise fully. (Name) noted that his smile was genuine but exhausted- nothing like what she had heard from Prince Ushijima of Shiratorizawa. "I'm Prince Oikawa Toru, this is my retainer Iwaizumi Hajime." From behind him Iwaizumi nodded respectfully. "Won't you accompany us in the carriage? We have much to discuss." 

"Of course, thank you for the hospitality, your Highness." 

* * *

**In the Carriage:** The prince's personal carriage was beautiful both inside and out. The seats were made of the plushest white velvet in all of Seijoh and the trend of gold that had decorated the outside continued on the interior as well. (Name) sat alone, whilst the prince and Iwaizumi sat across from her (which wasn't normal by any means- protocol dictated that any guard or staff rode in the front- but she wisely kept that to herself).

"I hope your trip was comfortable. Three weeks at sea isn't ideal but hopefully the Seafaring Glory made it more suitable!" She immediately recognized the smile he donned was fake, however, she acted indifferent and only nodded. The royal boat was probably the only reason that she hadn't gone crazy while at sea. 

"It was a very relaxing journey, thank you for your generosity."

"Oh? I'm glad! But I'm afraid we should move on to more pressing matters..." Oikawa pulled a scroll from a hidden compartment below his seat and handed it to her. Curiously she unfurled it, only to see that it was a map of the land surrounding the Castletown. "All of the circles are areas where Demonic Beasts have been spotted. From what our scholars and soldiers can tell there is no correlation between any of these locations..."

(Name) scanned the sketch of the area closely, there were over fifteen different areas circled, one of them being the Blue Forest. From what she could see there was nothing eye opening about it... until she thought back to the Accursed Uprising...

* * *

_"DAMN IT! WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM!" Kageyama yelled, brandishing his sword and piercing the demonic beast that drew too close for comfort. (Name) and the Karasuno Mercenary Company were battling a herd of beasts that had appeared on the border of Seijoh and Shiratorizawa. Oddly enough, the beasts never bothered setting one foot onto the coastal kingdoms soil, instead they opted to head straight into the nearest Shiratorizawa settlement._

_"Step aside!" Kiyoko warned the black haired sword master, casting a powerful cutting gale (wind magic) directly into a foe that was about to pounce on her younger friend. "Yachi, (Name), have you located the source?" The two females in question were a ways away from them, busy tag teaming a duo of beasts._

_"We're kinda busy right now!" (Name) replied, pulling her wyvern upwards to dodge a sharp swing from the lizard beast. Yachi shot a well aimed ball of fire below her, hitting her mark and lighting the monster a'flame. "Nice Yachi!" Momentarily relieved of her monster problem, (Name) began her locating spell again. The words she spoke slid from her lips like water poured from a faucet. The language was fluid sounding and she spoke it quickly, the more she chanted, the more bright light surrounded her. After a few moments more she felt a strange pull within her chest and an overwhelming urge to destroy the evil beasts. "I think I found it follow me!"_

_The pull in her heart grew stronger as she journeyed deeper into the Violet Forest. Eventually she arrived in a clearing, miles across of it, below a large cliffside, she could see the beginning of Seijoh's Blue Forest. The pressing matter at hand however, was the large hole in the ground hidden by foliage. Dismounting from Camilla, (Name) scrambled to rip the greenery away from the cavity- she could sense the dark magic originating from inside its depths and once more the guiding hand of the spell urged her to purge it..._

* * *

"I think I see the issue... tell me your highness is Karasuno awaiting us?" 

"No, they'll be here in three days time. When we first requested their help they were finishing up a job in Itchiyama. Why? What do you see?" 

(Name) paused for a moment before ruffling through her clutch- to the prince and his retainers surprise- she managed to pull out a large map of Western Shiratorizawa. 

"Look here, this area where the Violet Forest and Blue Forest meet." She held the maps side by side, so that the edges of them matched up perfectly, just as they did in real life. Oikawa raised an eyebrow in response, he had his suspicions that the demonic beast attacks were connected but chose to hold his tongue.

"And?"

"Three years ago, this area-" she tapped the border of both forests. "This is where the demonic monsters source originated from. Her Majesty, Queen Ushijima, most likely did not tell his royal majesty, King Oikawa, of this due to the fact that they only bothered Shiratorizawa and seemed to pose no threat to Seijoh. There was a clearing, high above the Blue Forest, that held a secret cavity. A cavity which a group of mages bearing the same symbol as the beasts seemed to have occupied- based on the findings we found within." 

"What sort of findings?" Iwaizumi pried, speaking for the first time. 

"It was disgusting... it wasn't that they were monsters being summoned from the depths of hell... no it was much worse. This mysterious group seemed to have been- oh what's the term- experimenting what would happen if they merged humans and forest animals with unfiltered dark magic."

"I-I'm sorry?" The prince looked green, as if he wanted to throw up. Iwaizumi didn't look much better, despite the cool expression he wore. Both were in shock at her words. "So you're telling me... all those beasts were humans? That could be why... why so many of our towns in the countryside became ghost towns all of a sudden." The three of them shared a glance, their stomachs churning with dread. 

"If they are the same as the ones in Shiratorizawa... yes, the chances of that being possible are very high."

For the rest of the ride to the castle, no one said anything. All of them fearing for the worst and anticipating the king's coming orders.

* * *


	5. CH3: The Kings Orders

* * *

**T** he white stone steps leading up to the palace doors shone brightly beneath the sunlight. It was odd- (Name) thought- seeing stones shimmer as it were marble instead. She suspected that there was another party at play- perhaps magic. Not that she particularly cared about the cause of the steps sheen- it was more like she was attempting to distract herself from her despairing thoughts. 

Prince Oikawa and Sir Iwaizumi walked a ways ahead of her, the three of them all fearing the King's coming orders. They had just arrived at the palace's entrance and were now making their way to the throne room- where King Oikawa was expecting them.

**_Pit_ **

'Breath In'

**_Pat_ **

'Breath out'

**_Pit_ **

"Are you alright Lady (Name)?" 

She turned her gaze from the steps to make eye contact with Seijoh's beloved prince. 

"I am, thank you for asking." Had her nerves been so noticeable that he was able to feel it from nearly four feet away? 

"Don't worry about my father. Sure, he won't be happy about the situation, but, he'll be pleased that progress is finally being made." (Name) didn't know what else to say so she responded with a simple 'I see' and left it at that. The trio continued on in silence, up until they were met with tall double doors that were between two, equally large, banners which bore Seijoh's royal crest. The guards greeted their prince with a sharp nod and slammed the ends of their lances on the floor, making the doors swing open. 

The throne room was wide and resembled a hallway, its white stone floors were pristine and lined with a single, long teal carpet that led up to the steps of the royal family's thrones. King Oikawa's throne was in the forefront most center of the stone platform, it was an incredibly gaudy chair- made of detailed, solid gold and decorated with hundreds (if not thousands) of genuine gems. The King of Seijoh sat a top it; an obese man, with pale skin, chestnut locks (just like his son, she noted), kind blue eyes, and a warm smile. He seemed very different from his son, yet, she could spot a handful of striking similarities between the two. No, it didn't quite make sense but then again what determines what is logical and what is not? (Name) believed in the old maxim that logic was in fact a lie created by society and was actually an illusion. For she believed 'logic' was decided based on an individuals interpretation of an event. But anyways back to the topic at hand-

"Ah if it isn't Wanderia's traveling heroine herself. (she curtsied while he spoke) It's a pleasure to have you in my humble home." The royal greeted her pleasantly, as if she were an old friend of his that he hadn't seen in years. "I am ever so grateful that you have decided to aid my people and I in these trying times. I understand that you have experience with demonic beasts? Tell me, though you have had a long journey, I fear I must trouble you earlier than preferred. What advice or news do you have for me?"

Immediately, the (hair color) girl felt sympathy for the old man. It was clear that he was exhausted with the creatures and desperate to keep his beloved subjects safe. The extra emphasis on the word 'I' told her that he was in fact, appreciative and touched that she went out of her way to aid him.

"It was my honor to accept Your Majesty's and His Highness's request. Though I fear that I bring dreadful news. From the information I received, it appears the mages behind these demonic beasts attacks are the same as the ones from Shiratorizawa's Accursed Uprising..." She earned an inquisitive look from His Majesty, and continued on. "The creatures they used to instigate the attacks are actually the results of forced human-animal hybrids, imbued with dark magic. That may be why your holy men and mages were unable to discover the true origins of these monsters. Dark magic like the one used here is rarely seen in these parts." 

"Is there anything else you might know about this? It pains me to say it but perhaps even my best fall short in this category." King Oikawa's benevolent smile had long since slipped away, leaving behind a fearful king- no a man, who was afraid of what fate had in store for his kingdom. (Name) observed him with appraising eyes, it was rare these days to see a ruler so caring and just. 

"Before I can promise you anything, would it be possible for me to analyze the areas where the attacks took place? From there I can decide what can be done to help Seijoh." 

The hopeful and determined glint returned to the rulers eyes and he allowed a handsome smile to settle on his features. 

"Very well. Tomorrow, my son and Sir Iwaizumi will take you to each of these locations. Once all areas have been analyzed you may return to me and we will continue our discussion. For tonight you are free to traverse the Castle Town or just explore the palace. Toru will show you to your room. Have a good night young Arrowthorne." With his dismissal, the trio of young adults left his presence and made their way to the royal guest quarters... 

(Name) committed each twist and turn of the hallways to memory as she trailed behind the prince and his retainer. The royal heir was speaking to his knight amicably and paid no attention to her, content with leaving her to her thoughts. Most would think he was rude for this but she knew better. Prince Oikawa was actually being quite considerate, she thought, not wanting to overwhelm his guest with too much questions or attempts at small talk. If he hadn't been so perceptive, the Wanderian noble would be forced to fake politeness and hide her growing exhaustion. Minutes later (though she personally felt as though it had been hours) they stopped before a pair of heavy oak doors. 

"Here you go, this is your suite. Dinner will be at around 7, I'll have a maid fetch you but if you would rather rest that's perfectly okay too." Oikawa sent her a knowing look, for once choosing to cut corners with his word choice. "The library is also open and free for you to use. It's down the hallway, take a left, then a right, and descend the staircase. My own room is a floor above this one, but if you want to speak to me you'll have to ask the guards to fetch me..." He turned around and began to walk away briskly, not giving her a moment to slip a word in. "I'll see you around (Name)-chan, bye bye!" Iwaizumi followed after him, as if it were all he knew how to do (perhaps it was), but he chanced a glance back at her and offered a soft smile and nod. There was a glimmer of gratitude in his stern eyes that nearly caused a flutter within her chest- maybe this place wasn't all that bad, she thought. Inhaling the slightly musty smell of the castle, the heroine placed a hand on one of the doors and pushed them open.

* * *

**The Next Morning:**

(Name) opened her bleary eyes and surveyed the room around her. She was in a comfortable bed- not a feather one- but instead a water mattress. Seijoh was famous for them and she hadn't known of any other kingdoms or countries that had been able to successfully create and mass produce water mattresses like they did. Beneath her she was able to feel the liquid moving about, all it did was make her want to lie still and succumb to the murky darkness that was sleep. (Color) eyes darted to the window that was directly across of her bed, the sky beginning to turn a purple hue, signifying that the fiery orb that was the sun drew ever closer to the horizon. It was probably around 5:30, (Name) mused, before pulling herself up out of the fluffy blanket cocoon she had wrapped herself in hours before. There was much she had to do today and there was no better time than the present. 

She donned a short sleeved gray dress that ended just above her leather boot clad feet, a navy blue cloak, and a pair of black leggings. This, was perhaps one of her most well known looks, the cloak on her back bore House Arrowthorne's crest- which was a rose and a rapier in an 'x' shape, surrounded by a large wyvern. The symbol was recognizable worldwide- though her own feats traveled far, the traveling people of Wanderia took it further. Her house's crest was borne by many different goods, weapons, books, and the like- it was a symbol of power, wisdom, and courage in itself. (Name) didn't dare include her mother's axe- Moon Splitter- as an accessory today though, fearing that it would draw too much attention in town. So instead she opted to attach a short, throwing axe to her harness/sheath (which she hid beneath her very useful cloak) instead. 

The well-experienced adventurer then began packing a traveling bag. The bag was enchanted so that it was near bottomless- while it could still run out of space, she was able to comfortably fit a large amount of items into it. Such necessities she packed were: a twin pair of short swords, a rapier, some scrolls from her time in Shiratorizawa, medical supplies, water skins, and other useful items she had acquired over her journeys. Despite them staying in the area near Castle Town, her gut told her that there was no such thing as being over prepared. Hm... that's not too bad a saying actually- maybe it could be her new motto. 

Feeling ready to brave the day, (Name) approached her rooms doorway, but paused upon seeing a sealed letter that stuck out from beneath the door. Hesitantly, she retrieved the letter and gently pried it open. The handwriting was a tad bit messy but easy enough to read.

**_(Name),_**

 ** _It's ~~Kindaichi~~ Yutaro. I stopped by to tell you where the stables were but you were asleep by the time I did. King Oikawa is stationing me out on the border of Dateko and Seijoh, so if you find yourself wondering where I am I'll be there. I'm unsure why but I personally think it may be because His Majesty fears the beasts will begin affecting our neighboring kingdoms. Illia says 'hi' by the way, as you know she's grown attached to Camilla... I'm not too excited on trying to separate those two but it is what it is. I'm afraid to say I have to keep this letter brief- the maids are eyeing me weirdly (but that's what I get for standing in the hallway and writing this). Anyways, _****_don't worry about me, I'll write to you when I can- just make sure to write back._** **_Also, the directions to the stables are attached below. Camilla is in the stall at the very end._**

**_Your friend,_ **

**** **_Yutaro_ **

Running her fingers over the hard pressed scrawl, (Name) had to bite down the smile that threatened to bloom on her lips. Her friendship with the young Sky Knight had an awkward start, however, the two had attempted to get along once they saw how much their mounts liked each other. Three weeks at sea, many sparring sessions, and a few stories later, (Name) could consider Kindaichi her friend. He had even allowed her to call her 'Yutaro' instead of his surname (which was a big deal in his homeland so she was honored), in turn he referred to her as (Name) in private. But only in private... something about not wanting to seem unprofessional in public. Truthfully, she was a tad bit bummed to hear that he wouldn't be around during her time here but it couldn't be helped. In order to lift her spirits, she decided to venture down to the stables and see her beloved wyvern. 

* * *

The castle stables smelt like any other ordinary ones. Hay, manure, perspiration, truly it was the whole package deal. Luckily it was somewhat drafty- the cool sea side breeze making the place a lot more bearable. (Name) strode past the few horses that were near the entrance, soon being met with pegasi the further she traversed, and eventually making her way to where Camilla awaited her. Wyvern stalls were always built differently than the others. Instead of being wood they were crafted out of stone or metal- which attested to how strong the dragons were. It wasn't unheard of for young, barely trained wyverns to break through wooden stalls after all. Instead of hay lining the ground, there was dirt floors, and runes carved into the walls. This was because wyverns were cold blooded and required a constant source of heat- or else they'd fall into hibernation. Because of this, Camilla's stall was warm like a hearth. 

"Hi my baby." Camilla purred in response, affectionately nuzzling her snout into her riders open hands. (Name) leaned her forehead against her wyverns and pressed a kiss between its eyes. "It's nice and cozy in here huh? Seijoh must be spoiling you! What's this?" There was remnants of some sort of meat in the corner of the stall. It wasn't fresh- in fact it was dried venison- the kind that Kindaichi liked to snack on. "Aw did Yutaro give you some nummies before he left? I hope you said thank you." She ruffled through her bag and procured a raw goat leg (that had been charmed to stay fresh) and offered it to her cold blooded friend, who bit into it with vigor. "Yep- of course you're hungry- you always are." 

**-Rip-**

**-Crunch-**

**-Munch-**

"Woah where did that come from?" A voice rang out, nearly causing the girl to drop the limb. She turned her head to gaze at the new comer. To her surprise it was Prince Oikawa. 

"Oh! Good morning Your Highness. I pulled this from my traveling pack." (Name) continued feeding her mount as she spoke, making sure not to get a single speck of meat (or drool) on her. Oikawa watched idly, the early rays of the morning sun filtered in from the small window overhead, painting the girl and her huge wyvern in the soft light of the rising sun. He couldn't see her eyes, for they were focused on her task at hand, but the content smile she wore put him at ease. "Your Highness?" Shaking his head, Toru pulled himself from his thoughts and instead looked up to see her (color) eyes boring into his own. "Is everything alright Your Highness?"

"I'm fine- thank you. Sorry, what were you asking I was distracted." She didn't give him a cocky smile or anything at all- something he hadn't expected. Instead, she nodded and turned her gaze away from him.

"Ah it's nothing important, I just asked if you had a mount of your own." Her question was simple- not something he was usually asked. Women preferred to inquire about his relationship status, his favorite food, or even his Zodiac sign (whatever that was). Most didn't bother to question anything related to battle or the like. But then again, (Name) was different (NO THIS IS NOT A 'NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS' JOKE XD)- she had met and befriended many different princes and probably had her fill on such bland, ordinary questions. 

"I do actually- he's just a few stalls down if you want to meet him. Who's this pretty girl by the way ~~besides yourself of course~~?" He stared at the mean looking wyvern- who merely ignored his existence and finished up the goat leg she had been munching on.

"This is Camilla- she's my baby. You can come and pet her if you'd like- she's friendly despite her appearance." (Name) said warmly, pulling a towel from her bag and wiping her hands, then Camilla's snout.

Oikawa took small, hesitant steps forward, his hand outstretched gently. Seeing that the beast wasn't avoiding his advances, he shyly placed his palm on her nose. She purred in response, small puffs of smoke leaving her nostrils. (Name) was right it seemed, her wyvern was a gentle giant, and unafraid of men- unlike pegasi. 

"Seems she's taken a liking to you, Your Highness," (skin color) hands palmed at the creatures head lovingly, "thank you for being so friendly baby." The brunette could only watch the loving scene fondly, he wondered if (Name) was like this with children. If she thought Camilla to be her own child, he could imagine how she would treat her own. He hadn't known her for long but he suspected she did indeed have all the right qualities to be a good mother and a fair queen- 'snap out of it'- he thought to himself 'you just met her.'

Footsteps boomed through the momentarily quiet space, Iwaizumi's voice could be heard echoing off the walls, summoning his prince to breakfast. Oikawa responded with a quick "coming" and looked toward (Name) expectantly. 

"You'll just have to meet Alexander later. Come on (Name)-chan it's time for breakfast."

* * *


	6. CH4: Castle Town Wanderings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some gore mentioned (that part is labeled with a warning). I'm sure all of you already expected this after seeing the tags and ratings but just in case I'll keep the warning in here. If any of you are from my Quotev you'll notice that the format differs slightly. It's not a important thing but in case you did notice it is 100% intentional.

* * *

**E** ver since their conversation in the stables, Oikawa seemed more inclined to engage (Name) in conversation. Luckily, Iwaizumi didn't seem averse to this decision whatsoever. He was much different than she had expected; brash with his words and even bordered on disrespect when speaking to his prince- something that she had never witnessed before. Prince Oikawa didn't seem bothered by it at all, instead he told her that this was just how their relationship worked- they had been childhood friends and their history was enough to grant the abrasive male a pass. 

"(Name) what are we looking for exactly?" Iwaizumi asked, he had taken to using her first name after being told that it made her feel more comfortable. At the moment they were near the entrance of the Blue Forest, in the area where the first demonic beast had came from. The trees around this area were uprooted, the grass and natural flowers trampled into the ground they once sprang upright from. Clouds hid the area from the sun overhead, leaving them standing in the cold, filtered light. No animals or bugs were in their vicinity- it was totally untouched and unmarked from the days after the attack, as if nature itself knew of the ill omens the place brought and was intent on avoiding it. (Name) could feel the heavy, suffocating feeling that only the darkest of magic could invoke. However, Oikawa and Iwaizumi didn't have any prior magical training so they were unable to notice the strong negative aura the earth gave off. 

"The Earth here feels... unclean almost. As if the gods themselves have seen the sinful beasts that tainted their land and have decided to punish the earth by leaving it untouched by the sun." She crouched beside a large but, barely faint foot print (one belonging to the first beast) and gestured to it. "The naked eye cannot see it, but a trained one, one with the gift of magical sight is able to witness it as clear as day." (Name) murmured an incantation underneath her breath and hovered her palms over the indentation. A thin, nearly translucent mist began escaping from the print and spreading in two different directions. One way led past them, into the nearby town- directly to the wide hole in the protective wall that served as the capitols primary defense. The other, led deeper into the forest where the signs of decay and destruction continued before stopping abruptly, as if to say the creature appeared out of thin air. 

"You may either stay here or you can accompany me into the forest. There's something I need to see before we move on." 

"No way are you going in there alone, come on Iwa-chan, we're going." Oikawa decreed, determined to not slack off while this visitor did all the work. His retainer looked hesitant but gave into his own curiosity, the two of them falling into sync as they followed the woman. 

The pine trees seemed to stretch to the sky, numerous branches forming a canopy that served as a curtain against the sun. Their only source of light being the thin rays that managed to slip through the holes in the tree branches and the reflective properties of the mist like trail. Old bark and sticks snapped beneath their feet as they travelled deeper into the woods, it was oddly quiet, not even the sounds of bugs or birds audible. 

"Weird... why can't I hear anything?" Iwaizumi muttered, on high alert as he observed his surroundings cautiously. Being neck deep in the forest and not hearing anything at all was unnerving. His prince and their guest seemed to share his concerns.

"This isn't normal..." Well no duh Your Highness, thank you for restating the obvious. Despite her rather ill mannered thoughts, (Name) remained silent, not pausing for a moment, nor hesitating in her steps. She was here for a reason and would not be deterred. 

"Calm yourselves. This is a sign we're close to the source. Nature- bugs, animals, and the like- will avoid dark magic like the plague. I know it's unsettling but it's a good thing. Stay on guard." Her words were truthful, spoken as if there was no other alternative- it shouldn't have been reassuring but it soothed the men significantly. 

They followed the mist until they finally reached the area where it stopped. It wasn't anything special, merely a small glade with no notable features whatsoever. The grass in this area was green, unlike the area where the beast had exited the forest from, there were plenty of birds picking worms from the earth. Oikawa let out a relieved sigh and was about to step into the clearing, however, (Name) yanked him backwards into her arms- preventing him from setting a foot in the open space.

"What do you think you're doing?" The prince cried, attempting to escape from her strong grasp. "You can't manhandle a prince like this!" His retainer could only watch with narrowed eyes but refrained from speaking, his logical brain telling him that the (hair color) girls actions had good reason. 

"Let me go first, there's something wrong here." (Name) simply spoke, releasing her hold on him and opting to crouch lowly to the ground once more. She pulled something from her pouch, a tiny glass bottle that was the size of a grown woman's thumb. Hidden within it was a pale, glowing light- she popped the cork lid off and the light escaped, moving to rest on (Name's) outstretched pointer finger. "Do me a favor and investigate this glade little one." The light- now recognizable as a fairy- seemed to bounce up and down in response, before zooming off to follow orders. Wherever it flew a path of pink sparkles was left in its wake. It flit around the space quickly, when it was done it returned to it's captor and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. 

"Prince Oikawa, Iwaizumi, my friend here tells me that this clearing is under an illusion spell. It's crafted to seem like an ordinary, peaceful dell, but in actuality it's hiding something much worse. I can get rid of it but it may not be a pleasant sight. Will you allow me to remove it?"

Iwaizumi's gaze turned onto his childhood friend, Oikawa seemed nervous- not that (Name) could have known though. His fair features were schooled into a serious expression, chocolate eyes even and narrowed. It was the slight bob of his Adam's apple that gave away his nerves- understanding the princes true emotions was a difficult art- but it was also something the darker brunette had spent his whole life perfecting.

"Go ahead, Iwa-chan be ready to draw your sword just in case." 

**!Gore Ahead!**

(Name) didn't seem to have any visible reaction, perhaps she was expecting his answer. Instead she began removing the illusion spell. Neither men were experienced in magic by any means, but from what they saw the Kingdom mages do, (Name's) was different. She didn't require tomes or grimoires to focus her magic like the Kingdom mages- all she needed to do was mutter a few words. The power of her incantation was so extreme that could even feel it in the air. A breeze swirled from around her before blowing out into the dell. Slowly but surely the enchanted wind began to- quite literally- rip away the illusion. It was as if the previous enchantment over the glade had been a curtain- and (Name's) spell had been the hand that tore it from obscuring the view of the world outside. 

Gone was the healthy, green grass, no more were the happy, feasting birds. All that was left in their wake was shriveled up flowers, weeds, and old, maggot infested carcasses of both humans and animals, along side a summoning circle which was etched in blood. The stench was abhorrent, the only thing they could smell was decaying corpses- not a single breeze gracing them- the air was stagnant.

(Name) let out a faint 'eugh' and fumbled through her bag, pulling out three bandannas. "You may want to put these on." Oikawa took the white and gray ones from her grasp, handing the latter to Iwa-chan. (Name)'s bandanna was lavender- Shiratorizawa colors, he noted. Once the three had made make shift masks from them, they finally stepped foot into the clearing.

The (hair color) approached the summoning circle, no corpses laid within it, and it seemed untouched- if not for the fact that a large pair of footprints stamped it. She ran a finger on the dried up blood that shaped it, rubbing her fingers together and humming slightly. It was a light coat, as if there was a shortage of blood- one glance around the area told her that was not the case. Perhaps, there was only a short time frame in which the circle could be drawn. It made sense, she decided, the circle did seem a bit rushed, the lines were wobbly in some places where they should have been perfectly round. (Name) got up and decided to observe the closest- human- carcass. 

She couldn't tell if it were a male or female- it's entire lower half was missing- leaving only the upper torso to observe. Half of the head was (bitten?) off, leaving the brain oozing out of the cranium like sludge. The only socket that was left in tact was missing it's eyeball- not a coincidence, she mused, it seemed as if it were removed purposefully, the optic nerve was cut precisely, as if someone used a pair of scissors or a fine knife to slice it. Donning a pair of leather gloves she had, (Name) reached down and opened the remaining jaw. The tongue was still in place (though it housed maggots- eww), but all the teeth were removed- only dried bloodied gums still there. She forced it's mouth open wider, looking into its throat to see if there was anything she was overlooking. Low and behold, there was something lodged deep in its throat. (Name's) stomach gurgled with dread, but she forced herself to shove her arm down its esophagus and pull out the object. 

"Oh my god." Oikawa retched from his spot a few feet away. He grabbed Iwaizumi's attention and the two watched in disgust as the woman forcefully pushed her limb down its throat.

**!Gore Over!**

Her actions hadn't been for nothing, since she had managed to pull out the item- it was a scroll of parchment. Brushing off the (crispy) pieces of flesh and maggots, (Name) unfurled the parchment, beckoning them over with a glance. "That's disgusting- but what does it say?" 

C̸͉͎̹͕̚͠o̷̢̗̍̉r̸̝̂̈̂͝ǹ̸̰̹̒è̸̡̯̿̂͋l̵̜̹͓̺̓ḭ̴̦̋ṳ̵͚̖̻͐s̶̟̬͔̬̓̾͂,̴̢͖̻̇̍͗  
̷̢̢̌Ḯ̵̳̬̍̎ ̷͚̋̊h̴̤͎͕̞͠o̵̙̕p̸̹̻͔̋̉̀ę̴̲̣͌́ ̶̱̜͙̪̀͆̽̽t̶̫͛h̶̝̟̀͂ĩ̸̹͆ș̴̡͋ ̷̧͇͒̐l̶̯̥̙̃̔͘ē̴͕̣̭̐ț̶̱̉ț̴̨̺̰̾̈è̴̖͎͆̉͝r̶̺͔͐̓ ̷̢̠͙̞̆͝͝f̴̺̪̼̣͗̐i̸̜̗͑͆̂n̸͈͒d̶͇̈́s̴͍̠͗ ̸̢̖̤͗̏̾y̵̗͖̻̱̏͂̄͆o̵͖̜̕û̵͚̘̠̰͂̒ ̴̧̖͈͝͝w̸̰̓̎͠ė̴͍̘͑̀͜l̶̻̭̈́̂̏l̶̯̾̐̆͘.̵̨͎̜͇̂͆̽͒ ̵̨̱͌̄T̷̰̈́́h̷̛̯͙́̐ę̸̞̭̈́͊̋ ̵̠͚̃a̴̢̠͙̙͂̃̂t̶̞͂ẗ̵̺̦̤̳́a̶̱̪̠̔c̴͇̃̐̃ķ̵̱͊̿̎͝ ̷̛̬̤̖̓o̵̘̭̖̯̓͂̚̕n̸̮̘̱̅͝ ̶̡̞͙͋B̷͈̼͔̭͝l̷͚̮͕͠u̸͉̦̒̓͊̑͜ͅȅ̴͚͕͚ ̴͖̘̹͆̊̈́F̸̗̪̪͙͐̿ó̸̡̩̮̋ͅr̸̠̋è̷̡̉̂͝s̵̘̫̓̈́t̵̨̨̻̿̔͋͠ ̶͉͙̥͌̎̾̔ī̸̮̪s̶̰̩̘͛̀̚͝ ̴̳͎͂̓̔̄ạ̷͚͔̬̐l̶͉͕̱̈́͋̀l̶̗̊o̷̖͚͎̔ẅ̸̖͚͚́e̷͓̹̽͑͗d̴̫̞̰̼͋̓̊ ̴̟̰̥̳͑͑ṱ̵̊ǫ̶̘̥̿͗̆͂͜ ̶̣͓̤͗̽̀b̶̟͖͔̂̎ë̷̻́̈́̓ͅġ̸̪͚̂̀i̴̬͔̱̺͂̐͝ň̴̢̻͚̜̓̚͠.̸̬̲̫͍̂̓̔ ̴̢̮̥̠͑͆Y̸̡̰͠ȯ̶͚̪̓̚ȕ̴̡̐̕ ̷̬̻̱͘o̵̬͌̿͜n̷̜͔̿̆͘ͅl̶͍ÿ̷̼̩̰́͛̕ ̵͇͚͍͊ḧ̶͎̩̙́ǎ̸̢̘̲v̵̼͉͊͜ẽ̸̦͒͒̅ ̸̻̤̟̈́̿̂u̴̡͕͐͌n̸̡͚̲̋̕ͅt̷̮̭̹͐̊ị̷̋͑̓l̶͇͗͂͝ ̸̟̜́̿̿t̵̛̼̮̐̄ȟ̶̯̣͈͌̇e̸̘͓͆͌͘ ̸̩͉̼̝̈́̈̍͝B̴̧͕́̌̚ͅl̸͓̯̙̄̀̚͜͝ỏ̴̮̃͆o̵̠̻͗͜d̷̛̟̩͎͗̓ ̸̤̤̬̥̊́̌M̷̨͎̠̊͝o̷̬͚̺̗̕ơ̴̼̮͉͇̏n̵͍̣̠̠̆͠ ̵̺̗̫̋ţ̴̲̥̫̐̽ớ̶̧͙͠ ̵̜̐̈i̸̘̓̈̀̽n̸̩͂͌̆̓i̷̪̟̦͎̿͝t̷̅͋͜i̸̡͑̍̒̆ạ̵͕̎̋̓̃t̷̝͛͝͝ẹ̷̣̿ͅͅ ̴̥͕͕̱͊͒i̵̩̙̻̙̐́̚t̷̞̊,̷̧̰̮͓̉̌́̊ ̶͍̳̲͉͆l̷͈͇̼̾͒͝ė̴͇͚̑̽̉s̸̩̙͓̺̃̆ţ̸̲̣̦͛͊̇̕ ̵͖͇̺̭͐̄͐̎ṯ̴͈̑͘͝h̷̺͛͒̑e̵͖̽̉ ̴̡̛̠̞̪͛͛̈́s̸͉͔̅͛̀͐ͅủ̸̧͘m̵̳̬͒̾̇̓m̶̱͆͗̃̂ǫ̴͎̑͛̆̊n̸̮͚̣͂͗́̊i̸͖̊̓̋̚n̸̰̙͈̉͜g̶̻̋͐̒̚ ̷̛͓͋͐͠f̷͎̝̊̿͜a̵̢͚̲̾̌i̴̖̋ľ̴̢̳́͂̈.̵̞͇͆ ̴̢͙́̋W̷̰̓e̵̲̗̱͐͐̒̎ ̵̗͓͗͊ͅn̷͇͖̫͎̎͛͌ȩ̵͈̠̬̒̇̂͝e̶̛̥̮̯d̴̼̀ ̷̝͂t̵̨́́̇h̶̫̃̈́o̷̧͉̩̺͐s̷̪̩̏ȅ̶̼̬̊̈́͐ ̶͚͙̈́͒b̵̲̖͖̣̏a̷͖̤̫͑s̸͉̈́t̷̰̠̾̉̎̓a̸͕͇̠͛r̴͎̫̭͉̊̈́d̶̬̱̉͊̆͑s̷̪̊̅͑̓ ̴̛͔̰̦̗ḧ̴̯̳̝̥́̓̐͝ê̶̙͊̊̔ḻ̷̛̙̉̒̆p̶̲̱̱̤̊͋̾͒ ̴̞͊̃͂͗ḭ̶̖͐n̶̨̹͉̓͌ͅ ̵͇̱̏̊̔̅m̸͍̝̿͂a̸͚̔̊̌̚͜ķ̶͍̔̍̚ḯ̵̲̃n̴͈͑̆̑g̶͇͗͠ ̶̡̗͇͎͘͝ơ̸̫͔̙̋̚ȗ̷͍̿r̷͓̋̈̌ ̸̱̻̫͖̆͂͋̚ẽ̶̺͍͋͝x̸̱̫͈͒̆p̸̰̗̿̂e̵̺̲̰̲̋̽r̵̛̮͌̓̆ị̵̬̞͆͂m̴̛̱̞̬͘e̸̘̤͙̓̉̑ͅṅ̵̬͎̘ͅt̶͈́͜͝s̷̖̉-̵̱ͅ ̴̝̭͘ͅm̷̬̘̦̍̎ͅụ̶̹̱̗͌̾͋c̷̬̞̟̪̽̈́̍͝ḩ̸̛̬̪͔̕ ̷͖̊̽̑ä̴̤̬́š̸̻̯̼̩̂ ̶̤͔͙͑̐Ĩ̷̪̪̿́̌ ̵̬h̷̲͚̟̺͂̓͋a̵͓͒̆͝͝t̷̻̾̈e̷̮͐͠ ̸͍̲͉̈̈t̸̺̙͚̂͊ó̴̤̭͚ ̸̮̲̮̕a̴͉̣̠̒d̴̲͖̅̔̚m̶̮̼̥͊̿̎̚ḯ̸̧͍̚ͅṯ̴̰͗̀ ̸͙̿͐̈́̋i̷̖̗̾ͅt̸̮̝͛̈.̶͈͖̙̏͐̋ ̵̡̽͋͠G̶̡̨̛̥͔̅̈́̍ḛ̸͇̉̐̍͘ͅẗ̷͚̫́͛̈́ ̷̧̘̻̃i̴̢͈͋̂̈̌ṯ̴̝̤̝͒ ̶̜͕̘̮̄͘d̵̻̩͂̂̚ͅo̶̝͊͋̉n̴̞͈͚̝̒͂e̸̹̩̖̿̈ ̵̙̅̇ò̷̟r̴̖̞͓̈́͝ ̴̧̢̩̜̑ẽ̴̛̮͕͍͠͠ͅl̴̤̍̚ͅs̶̲̮̿͛͌e̸͎̐̈́.̴͔̀ 

"What the hell kind of language is this?" The knight grunted in irritation, olive green eyes scanning the letter fruitlessly, unable to read the text. "I've never seen anything like this before." His focus was divided, unable to truly focus due to the smell it emanated. His prince wasn't having an easier time whatsoever, despite knowing many languages himself. 

"(Name) can you read this?" Oikawa asked urgently, desperate to understand what he was seeing. 

"I can't- but this language is familiar... give me a moment please." More digging around her bag before a book labeled 'Languages of Shiratorizawa' was laid across her lap. She flipped through the pages briskly, finally locating the one she sought. It was the same language as the letter but made to resemble the common language spoken world wide. "Here it is! This can help us translate, could one of you write down the translation as I read it?" Seeing the princes nod she passed him a leather journal and a quill pen. "Okay let's start..." A while later they had managed to successfully translate it.

_Cornelius,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. The attack on Blue Forest is allowed to begin. You only have until the Blood Moon to initiate it, lest the summoning fail. We need those bastards help in making our experiments- much as I hate to admit it. Get it done or else._

"You're kidding..." the royal was furious, frustrated tears shining beneath his lashes as he peered up at (Name). "We did all this work and the only clue we get is useless!" He couldn't believe it, he had been praying to the gods for weeks straight, desperate for any sort of hint, but now that he got one he wasn't satisfied. "All it's telling us are things we already know." Releasing a sigh, (Name) gently took the journal from his hands and glanced the words over. It seemed the princes impatience was the problem, the letter revealed noteworthy information. 

"Look here Your Highness, though it's vague, there are definitely clues here. Whatever 'help' the mages needed wasn't available past the night of the Blood Moon... which is odd actually, since many believe the Blood Moon to be a sign of end times... and the wrath of God..." Continuing her murmuring, (Name) studied the translation, it didn't make sense in her opinion- the Blood Moon seemed to be the most promising of times to launch an attack... yet their foes apparently believed other wise. Unless- "Perhaps the first attacks timing was decided on more symbolic reasons. If it had taken place during or after the Blood Moon the common folk would have interpreted it differently." 

Iwaizumi's olive green eyes met (color) ones. "That's a dangerous conclusion." (Name) understood his hesitance, it was a rather far fetched guess- the chances of it being a misconception were strikingly apparent. But as of this moment in time, it was all she had.

"It is," she agreed, "it may be best to get a second opinion- I'll have to ask Karasuno's Three Saints when they arrive." Despite her words, the (hair color) knew her hypothesis was the best they could come up with for now. "Let's check around the area some more hm? Then we can head to the other sites." They did just as she said, however they weren't able to find anything else from the glade and opted to head to the next location. 

* * *

**Hours later** all the locations had been visited- and all the three had to show from their trip was the single role of parchment, alongside their written translation that was within the leather journal. At the moment they were strolling through the Kingdom's Capitol (aka Castle Town), eating a light snack. Oikawa had insisted on purchasing milk bread for (Name)- who had never tried the 'delicacy' before. Sir Iwa-chan, as the prince had dubbed him- only watched them amusedly, chewing on his agedashi tofu- which he managed to pick up from a street vendor beside the bakery that sold milk bread. 

"So... how is it (Name)-chan? Seijoh's milk bread is the best in the entire continent- if not the world!" He spoke about the food so passionately that the girl felt obligated to give him a thorough review. She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully (but in actuality she was just playing with him) as she munched.

"It's as if I'm biting into a cloud... hmm the texture is very similar to Arrowthorne's famous brioche but taste wise it isn't as buttery or chewy. Huh, I think I actually like this, thank you for introducing it to me, Your Highness." Oikawa's beaming grin made her feel like she was in the clouds- it was wide, true, and completely and utterly adorable. 

"I know right! Iwa-chan did you hear that? Milk bread _is_ the best!" Iwa-chan seemed as if he wanted to say something contrary to that statement, but one look at the pleased expression the prince wore, he decided against it. The duo listened to the bubbly royals rant about his favorite food for some time after.

"Your Highness, Sir Iwaizumi!" A sky knight called from above them, everyone cleared the immediate vicinity, allowing her to land her pegasus. "There's a flock of bird beasts near the East wall- with the height they're flying at, we fear they'll be able to enter the capitol!" Luckily for her, the three of them were armed and ready to fight at a moments notice.

"I know today was supposed to be relaxing, but will you lend us your strength (Name)?" The spoon fed, blue blood asked, grip on his sabre tight.

"I got you, just say the word."

* * *

**At the East Wall:**

Trailing behind the sky knight, they finally reached the East border wall- clambering up the nearest ladder- they were met with the frightening sight of the incoming beasts. The sky knight wasn't joking, it was indeed a flock, from what she could see there was well over 40 of them. The Kingdom archers stood, bows at the ready, arrows nocked, and prepared to be drawn once the creatures were in range. She had faith in them but the sheer number of incoming foes made her fear for the safety of the town. (Name)'s eyes quickly scanned the lineup, not seeing a single mage among the ranks. 

"Hey! Where's all your mages?" She yelled up to the sky knight. 

"They're a ways away- ETA 15 minutes!" 

"Shit! Okay I can do this myself." (Name) was a daughter of House Arrowthorne, a noble house which took pride in educating their children in all forms of magic, in every area they could. She was no stranger to this certain spell- having used it countless times in her life- be it camping, the Uprising, or just general warding of a location, there was no doubts about her expertise with it. Luckily for Seijoh, she had prepared the papers in advance, and began tossing them into the air- using a weakened wind spell to spread it all along the Eastern wall. "Your Highness, I'm putting up a protective barrier over the capitol- don't worry though, while it deflects incoming attacks, the archers will be able to shoot right through it without damaging it!"

"Okay! Go ahead!"

Confirmation was all she needed, inhaling deeply, her arms stretched widely- as if she was asking for a hug, she brought them together, her hands clasped, pointer and middle finger outwards. Bright yellow light shot from her outstretched fingers, separating into many directions, before merging with the floating papers. The papers glowed in response, the etched ruins on them shining. At once a thin, yellow veil spread out from them and covered the entire capitol- however it was most visible along the East wall. This was because it was the source area, making it the part of the border that was most protected by the spell. The veil shimmered for a moment before fading- turning invisible to the naked eye. 

"It's up!" And just in time too- the monsters were in range now and the archers hurried to let loose their arrows. Several birds went down but it didn't thin their numbers very much at all. (Name) studied the creatures- using a telescope she had stowed away- they flew close together, it seemed as if there wasn't a single gap between them. She pulled out her own long bow from her bag, shoved her bracer and thumb ring on and nocked a fire arrow. It was exactly as the name implied- an arrow that had magical ruins on it that immediately set a'flame once it's head came into contact with something. She breathed in and let it fly, as expected it struck true and set the bird on fire, soon the magical flames spread to a good three or four more- though the others began separating once they saw this. She repeated this strategy but began alternating between light, bomb, and ice arrows as well. The latter two were self explanatory but the light arrows were special. They could only harm evil beings but were harmless otherwise- as soon as they made contact- the beasts were obliterated in an instant. The drawback to this was that light arrows could only be utilized if the archer was proficient in holy magic- since their ruins weren't self sustaining, meaning that they had to draw from the archers magic reserves. Their relentless onslaught of arrows weren't enough- the beasts were now pounding against the barrier violently, desperate to get in. 

"Lady (Name) the royal mages are here!" A soldier called from the ground level, (Name) whirled around and rushed to speak to them. The head mage glanced up at her and gave his verbal approval, telling her that the barrier was an excellent idea.

"I have another one for you, get your men to shoot their strongest lightning spell at the papers, maybe a strong electrical current can fry the beasts." The man nodded his ascent, yelling at his lackeys to do just as she said. The magical lightning flashed white and created sparks once it hit the papers, the dome rippled in response, electricity dancing over its surface. One by one the bird beasts fell out of the sky, feathers so numerous that it seemed to take on a black shade. None survived the attack, all of them collapsed at the base of the wall. "Amazing! Thanks for the help!"

The prince raced over to the (hair color)'s side, a determined glint shining in his pretty brown eyes. "(Name) lets go and see if the birds had anything important on them!"

"Right!"

* * *

**Bottom of the Eastern Wall:**

It smelled awful down here, the trio thought to themselves, the scent of charred feathers and flesh was not a pleasant one. You could barely tell that the beasts were supposed to be multiple creatures- they all appeared to be one giant being now. (Name) was donned in heat resistant attire, brandishing a (sheathed) broadsword and using it to poke the burnt carcasses. After a short while, they finally found something useful.

"(NAME) OVER HERE I FOUND SOMETHING!" Iwaizumi called over his shoulder, tearing the item away from the burnt claws of one of the creatures. It was... a parcel of sorts? It was wrapped in what was likely thunder dragon hide- thunder dragons were a rare breed of dragon that only flew during thunder and lightning storms. Their roars were a perfect mimicry of their namesake and their skin was immune to electricity.

"Hold on don't open it! I'm detecting high levels of dark magic from within!" (Name) warned, her hands glowing with white light. "Let me at least place a protective charm on it- who knows what sort of harm it could cause- even now." He handed the parcel to her, which she held with great care, Oikawa hurried over to them and peered down at it. 

"What do you think it could be?" 

"I have no idea... but the magnitude of its dark aura is astounding... maybe we should wait until a priest or priestess has blessed it." (Name) may have been skilled in holy magic, but she could only do so much without being a priestess. Sure, she had been blessed by gods and goddesses before, but that didn't mean she was capable of ridding objects of evil. Only certain people were able to fill those positions- for that role required one to be capable of being a mouthpiece of the God's themselves.

"Well then, that's all we can do today... it's nearly dusk! Let's head back to the castle for now. Good work you two." Truth be told, they were all glad to hear the princes orders. It had been a long and tiring day. For now they were only grateful for the outcomes the day had brought and hoped their progress wouldn't be halted tomorrow.

* * *


	7. CH5: Karasuno's Saints

* * *

"( **N** ame), you said you found this in a winged beasts grip?" Sugawara Koshi, the first 'Saint' of the Karasuno Mercenary Group asked. They were currently in one of the palaces towers, along with the other two Saints- Kiyoko and Asahi. This tower overlooked the entirety of the royal land and was far away from any unwanted observers.

"Sir Iwaizumi discovered it, we didn't dare to open it though." She replied, tearing her gaze away from the (still unopened) parcel to look at the priest. Suga was the definition of a holy man, she thought honestly, his pretty silver hair shone under the soft candle light, illuminating him in an other worldly glow. He was dressed in standard black robes with white highlights. There wasn't a speck of Karasuno orange on his garb- perhaps it was because he felt bad customizing such sacred clothing. Around his neck were many different sorts of beaded necklaces- (Name) wasn't sure what they were for- Wanderia's people worshipped differently- but if she had to guess, it was for spiritual significance. His gentle hands hovered over the parcel and began to emit a yellow, nearly white light. 

"Well you did an amazing job sealing the dark magic away, it's a shame to have to break the seal." He gave her an appraising smile before speaking to his companions. "Kiyoko, Asahi, would you mind warding the room? We don't want whatever's in here to have a chance at escaping." (Name) could only watch- she wished she could help more but sealing magic had never been her strong suit (with the exception of that single spell she used earlier)- she was more skilled in defensive and battle oriented magic. 

Kiyoko went around the room with a piece of chalk and began drawing protection circles onto the doors, windows, and any other openings within the room. After she did that Asahi would place a hand in the center of it and say a quick prayer, asking for protection. Once they finished they returned to Suga's side. 

"It's done." The beautiful woman told them, falling silent once more. The silverette nodded his gratitude and pulled oil from his robes pocket, then began to cover the parcel in it. This was a rather outdated form of purifying objects, but it was still the most effective to date. After anointing it in oil, the famous priest began commanding all spirits or evil presences to depart from it. The parcel shook violently, a black mist began to seep through the thunder dragon skin and struggled against the magical binding, however, as Suga's prayers went on, the more fainter it grew- soon it faded away entirely. Having nothing left to seal away, (Name's) enchantment disappeared also.

"Finally, now let's have a look inside." Suga delicately unwrapped the dragon hide- everyone in the room held their breaths in anticipation- eager to see what was hidden... a stone? He picked it up and examined it. Very minuscule ruins were engraved into it- so tiny that he couldn't see what sort they were. "Kiyoko can you see what sort of ruins these are?"

She acquiesced, allowing the stone to be placed in her hand. Sliding the first lens on her [swing loupe](https://www.sciplus.com/threeway-clipon-eyeglass-loupe-59242-p?gclid=CjwKCAiA4o79BRBvEiwAjteoYAcA6KqAdev0kOpdfrDqJKMwu_SLTW3L9w6ISjGmeUtNX8LHLVld8xoCdEYQAvD_BwE) down, Kiyoko began studying the small words within the ruins. 

"Ancient Shiratorizawa runic language- from what I gather this little stone could have caused a lot of destruction if it was able to reach it's intended target. The runes for power, explosion, fire, and smoke, are repeated several times." Her words reminded (Name) of something.

"Kiyoko read this, I found it in the Blue Forest the other day. It was hidden in a glade that was under an illusion spell- I literally had to pull it from a corpses throat. We translated it but I'm unsure if it's the correct translation." 

The blackette read the translated version then examined the letter. "Hmm... everything seems accurate to me, what do you think it means?" 

"Based on the letter I concluded that the timing of the first attack was decided on symbolic reasons over anything else. So that it was clear that this wasn't an act of the heavens- but of another party instead." (Name) responded.

"That's an... odd conclusion." Asahi mulled over her words and studied the translation over and over. "But it actually makes the most sense, given the context. What sort of help are they talking about though?"

Suga had been silent for majority of the conversation, the gears in his head turning so furiously (Name) swore she could hear it from her spot a few feet away. "Wait hold on! Do you remember the old fairy tale about the kingdom of the three sister goddesses?" She didn't see his point but she could recall reading about it during her childhood. "It's said that their kingdom fell under the control of the demon king- who reigned over it for a good 100 years or so. The goddesses's hero would defeat countless hoards of his monsters but every blood moon they'd come back stronger."

"Suga where are you going with this?"

"I'm saying we both could be right! The timing was ideal- but for what reason? Not because of symbolic purposes- but supernatural! (Name) you've been to enough places to know that all fairytales are based on a core truth. Let's say this is one of them- if their demonic beasts were defeated PRIOR to the blood moon, then that means there's a way they could come back stronger afterwards!" His theory was even more farfetched and insane than hers. 

"Suga... there's no way-" Asahi began, but a glare from the silverette shut him up.

"Think back to the Accursed Uprising everyone. What times were the worst out of the entire year?"

They didn't need to think too hard to answer that. It was in fact the time of the blood moon for them. Those nights there had been endless swarms of demonic beasts, they hadn't known where they had originated from but it was as if their foes had an unlimited source. 

"Not only were they stronger but they were all deformed and had old scars... What are the chances that those were the ones we defeated before? Do you not remember the beheaded dragon? We faced one of the same species before the first months blood moon- and how did we kill it? Daichi sliced its head off. That's how." 

"He actually has a point." Kiyoko whispered in shock, none of them were able to connect the dots, but Suga did so flawlessly. 

"So what you're saying is that 'the summoning' is actually when the blood moon summons the monsters from beyond the grave? What about the other help? The part in making the experiments?" (Name) asked- sadly Suga didn't seem to have a theory regarding that part and shook his head.

"I have no idea sorry." 

"Damn it this is so frustrating!" (Name) groaned, fists clenched in anger, she wanted to make more progress than this. "Are we sure that we don't have any ideas about what this 'help' could be? Nothing from the Uprising fits the bill?"

"Why don't we ask some of the others? There must be someone who has suspects." Kiyoko suggested, looking weary from their short session. "This stone might be more useful than we think, maybe someone who's traveled around Shiratorizawa will be able to identify its origins." 

"Maybe I should send a letter to Semi... he's probably the most suitable for this task." The (hair color) mused, thinking back to the many times she's seen Semi in the royal archives. Sure, the main reason he studied magic theory so much was so that he could compose songs; that would be able to work in place of an incantation. Something about it being ideal for long term protection spells- he had claimed. To do that he needed to have a deep understanding of the original, runic language that was what all the modern spells were based on. 

Asahi seemed nervous at the thought. "Um, is that a good idea? I heard that Prince Oikawa and Prince Ushijima don't get along." The rumor was apparently started by a former Seijoh maid, who had claimed that Prince Oikawa was bitter and rude to Ushijima for seemingly no reason. 

"Asahi!" The mom of the group scolded, smacking the taller males head lightly. "Don't go around spreading baseless rumors! Imagine if word got back to the Prince- or the King!"

"Ouch! Sorry Suga." 

"It doesn't matter if they don't get along. We will only be requesting Semi's aid, not Prince Ushijima's." Kiyoko stated, her words would be true if Semi himself wasn't apart of the kingdoms "three for one" package deal. Wherever he went, Tendo and Prince Ushijima would follow- and vice versa.

"Hey (Name) you haven't seen them in a while right?" Asahi pried, not slyly at all. "Are you ready to see them again? After... well you know..." He was talking about the brief fling she had with the trio. (Name) giggled to herself, the brunette made it sound like they had ended on a bad note- which was simply not the case. But even if they had, she knew it wouldn't have mattered. She understood each of them- as they did her. The Uprising and their evident lust for each other wasn't the only thing that held them together- but also the small, meaningful moments they shared...

* * *

_"(Name), I did it! Your idea worked!" Eita was near beaming- a very rare look for him- he must have been very pleased with himself. The (skin tone) female raised a questioning brow, placing her cup of coffee down and giving the ashen haired male her undivided attention._

_"What's up Eita?" She had a vague idea as to what he was excited about, but decided she'd rather hear it from his lips before she arrived at a conclusion._

_"Remember that old music box I showed you a few months ago?" He took a seat beside her and placed the music box on the table. It was a circle shape, made of ivory and decorated with small paintings of golden stars. When the lid was open, a small figure of a bard playing a lyre would pop up and twirl in circles to the tune of Clair de Lune. Months before, Semi and her were discussing how to find a way to incorporate music in spell casting. She had brought up the idea of enchanting an instrument or something small like a music box and seeing whether or not it could be done. 'It could be useful, maybe you could imbue it with a soothing spell or something, but make it so it only activates when it's playing music.'_

_"Here, give it a few cranks." He told her, she gave in and wound it up a few times before setting it back on the table. The soothing melody began to flow out of the small box, causing the teeny bard to spin- it was a faint thing but she was able to see a glow around his miniature lyre. The light pulsed in response to the music- lower notes made it fade, while higher pitches made it shine brighter. The longer the music played, the heavier her eyelids grew, soon she found herself yearning to fall into a deep sleep. Her entire body was at ease, it was like she was in the most comfortable place in the world. Semi noticed her drowsiness and chose not to say anything, he was glad that his little discovery was actually working. Soon enough (Name) was resting her head on the oak table, steady breaths escaping her lips as she slept..._

_Later that day, (Name) awoke in Ushijima's quarters, held fast against Eita's chest. He too was asleep, their personal bard still playing his song. She would make sure to praise his hard work later, and inquire as to how he did it. But for now she relished in Eita's company, inhaling his scent- that of embers and fresh parchment, and allowed herself to fall back asleep. All the while the little bard danced to the tune of Clair de Lune._

* * *

_"Satori you should be more careful with your training." (Name) lectured softly, continuing with her task at hand- wrapping bandages around the redheads fingers. "Your fingers are precious, I don't want to see you lose them due to a reckless sparring match."_

_Tendo had been too cocky whilst training with some of the rookie soldiers- so much so that he had let his guard down and allowed the trainee to whack his fingers with a practice katana. They were purple and badly bruised, but luckily they weren't broken._

_"I didn't mean to get hit!" He whined, only to let out a squeak at the glare he received. "Sorry (Name), I'll be more careful next time." The redhead shot her a sly grin. "I would feel a lot better if I got some get well kisses."_

_"Don't even try me Satori." (Name) sighed, flicking his forehead gently. "There we go. Can you bend your fingers at all?" He tried to bend them but the bandages were too tight (but not tight enough to be painful)._

_"Nope." Tendo said cheerfully, popping the 'p' at the end- as though his digits weren't throbbing painfully beneath the wraps._

_"Good you're not supposed to be able to." The heroine nodded smugly, but she grasped his battered hands again anyways- presumably to inspect them once more._

_"What is it? Is there something wrong?" He shifted his unblinking gaze over to her, pupils wide as they locked onto the (hair color)._

_"No, I'm just looking that's all." She hummed, kissing the tips of his fingers softly, pretending not to see the red hue that overcame his face..._

* * *

_"What do you think of this proposed law (Name)?" Wakatoshi's deep voice reverberated throughout the large study, nearly surprising (Name)._

_"Oh? What is it?"_

_"The merchants guild proposed a new law for the import and exporting taxes to be lowered. They did not offer an alternative way for us to make up for the lack of taxes and instead insisted that the boost in the economy would make up for the loss of funds."_

_(Name) raised a perfectly sculpted brow. "It sounds like a good idea, but how would that affect the kingdom overall?"_

_"Border security's funding would still be cut in half. Meaning less guards, a decrease in the maintenance crews efficiency, and longer lines. In the long run this could be a security threat, more criminals will slip through the gaps... but it might bring in more business in the forms of tourists. However, the chance is still small."_

_"Yes, those are very good points to refute the proposal. But who's to say that you can't meet them half way?"_

_"Meet them half way? I don't understand what you mean by that. Are you suggesting a bridge from the border to the palace is the best alternative? I see, that may help tourism, if tourists have a direct path to the palace then maybe it will encourage more to visit. But what about the security threat? Where could we pull funds from to commission it?" (Name) laughed at Ushijima's seriousness, he was so easy to confuse that it made her wonder how he was able to navigate the twisted world of politics._

_"Toshi- no that's not what I'm saying. 'Meet me halfway' is a popular idiom back in Wanderia, sorry for confusing you. What I meant to say is that you could formulate a new proposal- one that satisfies both sides."_

_"That makes sense, what did you have in mind?"_

_"I was thinking of reducing- or perhaps even removing the export taxes, but keeping the import taxes. This way you would still be earning money from other countries merchants and Shiratorizawa's business partners. The more products Shiratorizawa can export, the more overall money you'll make. It'll boost the economy and the merchants will rise into a higher bracket- so that they will pay more income taxes. The best part? They can't complain because it's only a 5% increase from the previous 20%." Ushijima nodded as he listened, writing down her idea on a piece of parchment paper._

_"That's a very reasonable proposition, allow me to fine tune it before presenting it to the Round Table Alliance."_

_A few weeks later, news reached (Name) that the new law was set to pass by the next full moon. Eita and Satori had joined her and Ushijima for a celebratory dinner and drinks, the foursome talking well into the night._

* * *

"Don't worry Asahi, I'm more than ready to see them, in fact a visit would be great. Let's ask King Oikawa about the matter, no doubt that he needs to be notified about... well all of this."

The other three nodded in response, not having any objections.

"Okay, I'll go with you to speak with His Majesty. Asahi, Kiyoko ask the others if they have any possible idea as to who the 'help' could be." Suga ordered, his normally kind tone absent. "All we can do now is pray for more clues. May the gods watch over us."

And with those final words exchanged the four left the old tower, descended the stairs, and parted ways. Each determined to complete their given task and worried about what all these discoveries could mean. It was nearing the end of the day, but it was just the beginning of their newly realized problems.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I'm guessing you noticed how some things don't seem to add up? Don't worry about it- it's intentional! Things will be cleared up in the future ;) This next part is taken from the original authors note on Quotev:   
> -  
> Oh my Gosh this chapter took forever. But it's finally here! I know how Suga's conclusions seem, but during these times things like myths and fairytales are taken very seriously- especially by people who practice or study magic theory. Also we didn't see the more eccentric crows yet but we'll be seeing them soon! This chapter was just super important to get through before anything else... As a little treat I wrote something for after this so go and check it out! Hope you enjoyed!  
> -  
> As you may or may not have been able to tell, I'm not good at writing literally any of Karasuno- which is why I'm seriously considering not having them as love interests. If you have any tips for me please let me know!


	8. Letter 1: From An Old Friend

**Listen to[this](https://youtu.be/Ykftck0LTZY) as you read. ([This](https://youtu.be/LXR5fuLOy50) is an alternative if you want to read from the writers p.o.v.) Also there's a possible trigger ahead (has to do with fire) so if you're not comfortable with that just skip this special chapter.**

* * *

_(Name),_

_It's been a long while huh? I hope this letter reaches you soon... thing is I don't actually know where you are. We lost contact years ago but I'm sure you remember me right? Things have changed, (Name), and I'm sure you're surprised to even be getting this letter. I was supposed to be dead after all. I should have told you that I was okay sooner- but I didn't and I'm sorry for that. Look... I don't even know if you'll ever get to read this or if you even wanted too after seeing my handwriting. But I owe you an explanation so here it is._

_I'm sure you were told of the Fukurodani incident... of how one of our carriage's wheels came loose due to some oversight by a servant... and how the unexpected lightning strike lit the whole damn thing a'flame. I don't know how I didn't die in the flames to be honest with you. I can still feel the heat sometimes... a friend of mine's calls it "phantom pain" or something. It's what I imagined hell fire to feel like. No, I'm not exaggerating either. There was a flash of light and a sharp sounding 'boom' and I couldn't see because I was blinded by the strike. The smell was terrible too- I can't even describe it- but it was the sounds that was the worst part. My parents, servants, even the animals were making the most terrible noises... And my sister- you remember her right? Even as she was burning alive all she said to me was 'Tetsuro, get out of here, get to safety.' But I couldn't move, not at all. I was useless in that moment. I don't even think I wanted to leave actually. I wanted to die with them- with my mom and dad and my sister. Eventually the smoke filled my lungs and I lost consciousness, but it didn't matter because I didn't get my wish granted in the end._

_When I woke up next I was nowhere near the crash site. Instead I was in this weird village within Fukurodani's Horned Woods. I could've sworn I was staring at an angel at first- but turns out it was just some pretty cleric. His name was Agashi or something like that I think. His friend, was a tall and kinda burly dude named Bokuto. Nice guys for sure, apparently Bokuto saw the flames during one of his late night flights and searched for survivors. He says he found me in critical condition... no one else was alive- all charred to crisps. I was lucky to be alive... Oh in case you didn't know (though I doubt that's the case with how obsessed you were about reading) the native people of Fukurodani are a winged and nocturnal species... Kinda like owls actually. They nursed me back to health for months and eventually accompanied me back to Nekoma- where my family's ship was supposed to be waiting._

_It wasn't actually there though, apparently the crew that stayed on board lost hope once their search parties came back without any good news. I was all alone there, my new friends had left as soon as I crossed Nekoma's border. I couldn't even send you a notice- I had no money and no allies. I really thought I would die there- I couldn't go back to Fukurodani either- I had burdened them enough._

_(Name), I'm so glad your dad said you couldn't come with us all those years ago. During those times you were the only reason I kept trying to survive. I had no one left- my family was dead, I was a stranger in an unknown land, and fate was just so unkind. But thinking of you- the girl who liked to lock herself up in her library and daydream of unknown lands, the girl who slept with six pillows and would demand me to hold her as she fell asleep- it made me hope that someday I could come back to you. Those months where I scavenged in Nekoma's alleyways for an old loaf of bread or something to keep warm- I thought of you and how well you must have been doing. It's unfair isn't it? We spent our entire lives being spoon fed by our houses, unknowing that others were suffering at the same time as we were eating five course meals._

_We were living the life our parents wanted for us. Happy, warm, full, and satisfied with every aspect of our tiny world. Everything was figured out for us- hell- we didn't even have to worry about growing up and finding a partner. That's what the plan was after all... did you know that? The only reason we were allowed all those playdates as kids was because my old man wanted us to grow attached to each other... we were actually engaged. You've always been smart so I'm sure you figured it out at some point. But (Name) I need to finish this explanation before saying anything else._

_I don't know how long it took but eventually I met another homeless runt. His name is ~~Ken~~ not important. He actually reminded me of you at first. Very timid and frail, but without the burning fire you have in your eyes. I don't know how it happened but I grew attached to him. Life became a little bit brighter after we met. As his walls crumbled and our bonds strengthened, I found myself learning to hope again. (Name), he's beautiful. I wish you could meet him... Oh- but anyways, the two of us were snatching some food from the main market place right? And we got caught by some old dude named Nekomata. I don't know why but he took pity on us and roped us into his crew. Turns out he was a pirate captain and soon enough we joined him on his very own ship. _

_I'm happy now (Name), I have a crew, a lover, and everything I ever wanted. And I know that's no excuse but I couldn't come back to you. Not after everything that happened since the accident. To tell you the truth... I don't think I ever wanted to go back to Wanderia. It stopped being my home when I lost my family. House Nightshade stopped being my home when I realized there was nothing left for me there. (Name), you were- and still are- the only thing in Wanderia that I care for. So that's why I'm writing this letter to you._

_I heard of your adventures in Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki. I'm happy for you. You always did want to explore the world and I'm glad that me not being there didn't hold you back. But still, I hope someday we can meet up and actually fulfill our old promise... (Name), I want you to know that I'm here for you- even if we're not as close as before. I wasn't ready to branch out before and let you know of my whole... being alive thing... but I am now. You don't need to accept or forgive me or anything like that- because I know I did a pretty shitty thing by not letting you know sooner. But please respond once you read this. I just need to know that you heard my story._

_An old friend,_

_Tetsu_

_P.S: I go by Tetsuro "Kuro" now. Take care (Name)._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of many letter chapters. Basically this is how our lovely heroine is going to be interacting with characters that aren't featured in the main chapters. Keep in mind that these letters are still following the previously established plot line but aren't so important that they need to be in the main chapters. (Which is why the letters from Oikawa/Kindaichi were in the main ones). 
> 
> I'll be using these letters to reveal more of (Name's) past. So that she's not a dull/blank character and actually has some personality!


	9. Letter 2: To An Old Friend

**Here's (Name's) response to Kuroo's letter. Listen to[this](https://youtu.be/T6Tl1OffJX0) while reading the letter part. For the second part listen to [this](https://youtu.be/4KM0s_oGlaM). ([This](https://youtu.be/MOLo4SNAyUw) is also an alternative for the second part).**

* * *

_Tetsu,_

_I wish you told me you were alive sooner. What you did was such a shitty move and if I were with you right now I'd let you know with my fists! But I'm so glad you're alive. I miss you everyday Tetsu, though no matter how much I want to see you- I would rather you stay put and be happy. I'm actually not in Wanderia right now, funnily enough. I'm in Seijoh- which is awfully close to Nekoma don't you think? Maybe you've heard of the Demonic Beast attacks that are happening here? Yeah, I'm dealing with those._

_Tetsu, we have so much to catch up on and so little time. I don't know when you sent your letter- but your messenger was a good one. Word of my presence in the continent travels fast apparently- who would've known? You need to tell me more about this mysterious lover of yours too! Is it the same person you happened to run into during your time prior to your pirating days? Speaking of that time, I am so sorry that I wasn't there for you- I begged my father to send more search parties but they all returned empty handed. Their searches went on for about six months before they just gave up..._

_But Fukurodani and Nekoma huh? I've been to a lot of places but have yet to go to either of those. Maybe someday I'll travel there- but who really knows. My hands are always full with some sort of crisis. What's your new life like? Not that I'm jumping to conclusions, but being a pirate sounds fun! I did something similar- but only in the terms of leaving the comfort of our home continent. I travel around and lend a hand to whoever needs it now, while also gaining more information and resources for House Arrowthorne._

_I won't stay on this topic for long but I just want you to know that House Nightshade is in good hands. Since there's no heirs, the House was given to us to watch over. Your father put me of all people as the next in line to inherit it. With my current occupation though it's my brother who's running it at the moment. But you and I both know it's in some of the best hands available. And I know what you're going to say- but if you ever need anything or even just want to visit- it's yours. As for the betrothal, Tetsu, I want you to know that I'm not worried about that either. Yes, I did find out about it eventually, but had I known I would have told you._

_Don't worry about the promise either. Someday we will fulfill it, but not anytime soon. Whenever that day comes we'll face it together- just as we did before. Either way, it's too far in the future to dwell on, and I'd like to see you before then._

_Yes, I'm happy with how things are right now- life is exciting for me and adventure is around every corner! Believe it or not I've gotten better at socializing and have actually learned how to talk to people outside of House Arrowthorne. Sorry about this, but I've got another mystery to solve so I'll have to end the letter here._

_Take care Tetsu,_

_(Name)_

_P.S.: I know how you think, don't even bother trying to come to Seijoh! It's dangerous so you all best stay far away from here! Also tell this lover of yours to treat you right or they'll have me to deal with!_

* * *

(Name's) heart was pained as she signed off on the letter. All this time she had thought that Tetsuro was dead- already having went through each and every stage of grief- only to find out that he was alive this whole time. It was a cruel joke she thought, the accident happened nearly a decade ago- and she was only able to learn how to let him go recently (by that she means three years before present time). 

Tetsuro Nightshade was her first love, the boy she had grown up with, and the man she was supposed to have married. They had been each others world for the first 12 years of their lives- the accident had left her in a state of depression that lasted nearly two years. He was the one who had held her head to his chest and allowed his heartbeat to lull her to sleep, and if that didn't work then he'd hum a soft lullaby instead. The one who would accompany her to either Arrowthorne or Nightshade's library in the dead of the night and read for hours. He would read up on alchemy while she studied geography or magic; and they'd spend the time cuddled up together- sometimes he would read out loud and she'd listen contently. Occasionally he would saddle up with her on his horse: Kuro (which is apparently his new surname) and the pair would head to a hidden pond in House Nightshade's woods where they would then swim and mess around- as children should.

(Name) knew, she knew that Tetsuro had someone else now. Someone who he had no obligations to stay with- someone who he was only bound to out of love and loyalty. This lover of his was different from her in every single way, and she knew that she couldn't compete. It made her heart pang with envy and a pit form in the bottom of her stomach, but she reminded herself that it couldn't be helped. (Name) only knew Tetsuro Nightshade- Tetsuro Kuro was a stranger to her. If she was going to be completely honest with herself? That last thought had probably hurt more than any other. 

Her gaze settled on her dominant hand, which was now stained with black ink since she had been gripping the quill pen too hard. She wasn't full of herself- she knew her self worth, but that didn't mean it softened the blow either. (Name) knew she was regarded by many as the most sought after bachelorette in the world over, but the one time it mattered (to her at least) that title failed her. 

'Someday,' she told herself, 'I'll fall in love again, real love and not just attraction. I have time... and options.' But that thought didn't exactly help either. There was no point thinking it- you can't force love. She wished she could. Maybe then her heart wouldn't have hurt so much if she could force herself to love another. After all he had done and put her through, Testuro didn't deserve her love... but he still had it. 

"Why can't I just love Shinsuke, Osamu, Atsumu, and Rintaro? Or Wakatoshi, Eita, and Satori? Why am I still in love with him!? I thought I was over him!" Tears were pouring down her face and she pushed her chair away from the desk- not wanting to wet the parchment. 

"Love is so stupid." Eventually she collapsed back into her desk chair and stared out the window. It was storming outside- almost as violently as it had been within her room. She didn't know what to feel at this point besides numb...

The tear tracks on her face were now dry and the scattered papers were now picked up and in their rightful places. It was cool and quiet in her room and she could almost convince herself that it was all a bad dream. But the broken pieces of her heart were still there to serve as a reminder that this was in fact a reality. There was only one slight comfort and she would cling to it desperately. That being that her Tetsu- sorry she meant to say just Tetsu- was happy now. That somewhere in the world he was being loved like he deserved to be. Yes, the thought hurt but it was something to think about still...

After all, if she couldn't have Tetsuro then she could only hope that the one who did have him treated him right. (Name) still wanted him of course, but most of all she wanted him to be happy and safe- and if she couldn't give him that then she'd be content with watching someone else do it. 

That's what love is after all. When you care for someone so selflessly that you're willing to break yourself for their sake over and over again. That was a fact, just like the fact that Tetsuro would always own a part of (Name's) heart.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, definitely not the best I could have done... maybe I will rewrite this chapter when I feel depressed.


	10. CH6: Graceless Research

* * *

**I** t was the day after she and Suga had reported their theory to King Oikawa. He had agreed with their advice and sent a request for aid to Semi Eita in Shiratorizawa. All that was left to do was wait for his response letter. However, (Name) and the Karasuno Mercs were not people to sit by idly. They were going to look for clues themselves, despite not having anything to go off of. Unfortunately, Kiyoko and Asahi had come up empty handed with their own assignment, but (Name) insisted it was alright. She had many things to think over lately, but could only do so much with so little leads. Which is how she found herself in Aoba Johsai's Royal Library.

"Lady Arrowthorne- I found some books that might interest you." The palace librarian- Yahaba called out to her, wheeling a large cart stacked with aged tomes, scrolls, and the like. (Name) sighed at the sheer amount of material she had to go through- but it was better than nothing. "I apologize if they're not exactly what you're searching for- I'm not too familiar with Shiratorizawa's ancient history! But luckily I happened to find a few books about the Kingdom of the Three Sister Goddesses! Is there anything else I can help you look for?" He tilted his head to the side, brunette locks swaying- now that she thought about it, Yahaba had an uncanny resemblance to Prince Oikawa (perhaps he was a bastard of the King). 

"Actually this is plenty- thank you so much for your help!" 

The librarian flushed, but nodded his head and left her alone to her research. "I'll be off then- just call my name if you need anything." (Name) turned her gaze to the stack of materials before selecting a book to read. The first book she selected was titled _Sister Goddesses' Hero_. Unfortunately for her, it was just a retelling of the fable- the blood moon and monsters only mentioned one or two times. This particular author had decided that it was more important to focus on the hero's side quests over the main quest. 'One book down... 20 or so more to go.' She thought to herself, tying her (color) hair back with a silken teal ribbon. 

The famous adventurer was reduced to nothing but a bored researcher- all in the timespan of a few hours. Now she was on her 7th book- but had still found no new information to take note of. Slowly but surely she was losing her patience- wanting nothing more than to leave the musty library. But thinking back to the destruction these foes were capable of committing, served as the best sort of motivation- convincing her to get back to work again. The hours seemed to drag on endlessly, only the sounds of her flipping old, yellowed pages filling the large space. Soon enough, the daylight began fading away, leaving behind the pretty purple and pink smatters of dusk. Yahaba hummed softly, flitting around the space with a candle lighter- careful not to accidentally set the books a'light... Wait what was this? Finally something interesting! It took her about seven or so hours- but she finally found a useful book. 

* * *

_** The Land of The Sister Goddesses Volume V: The Blood Moon ** _

_AS the moon takes on the hue of freshly drawn blood and the sun's holy light is long departed from overhead view, the Demon King's soldiers rise from the grave. The Goddesses gaze falls short on their land- until the moon hides its face and their sun reigns the sky the next day. For a whole night the land is without heavens watchful eye- bathing only in the evil hue of a kings wrath. No one is safe and the prayers of devout followers go unheard, but there is something watching from just beyond the veil. Alas, it is the rise and dawn of the blood moon._

-

-

-

**_A Written Entry Submitted by Scholar Marveen Twenson of (UNINTELLIGiBLE)_ **

_I doth bethink yond th're is something strange about the fabl'd blood moon. Tis not liketh the main church claims t to be- a signeth of god. I knoweth of a charm longeth f'rgotten- at least by the public- yond still liveth on in enshielf societies and people the present day. Rum'r has't yond th're's a ritual that- at which hour p'rf'rm'd on the night of the blood moon- can calleth upon the fusty goodyear kings pow'r. T supposedly requires a most wondrous sacrifice to beest successful, but i heareth tis not impossible eith'r. Mine own sources (not to beest disclos'd h're) eke claimeth yond the goodyear king loses his pow'r by a slight p'rcentage with ev'ry passing wint'r solstice- which is wherefore that gent high-lone cannot revive his army without outside holp. Asketh not me how accurate this is- i has't nay idea myself._

_(I do think that there is something strange about the fabled blood moon. It is not like the main Church claims it to be- a sign of god. I know of a magic long forgotten- at least by the public- that still lives on in hidden societies and people today. Rumor has it that there's a ritual that- when performed on the night of the blood moon- can call upon the old demon kings power. It supposedly requires a great sacrifice to be successful, but I hear it is not impossible either. My sources (not to be disclosed here) also claim that the demon king loses his power by a slight percentage with every passing winter solstice- which is why he alone cannot revive his army without outside help. Don't ask me how accurate this is- I have no idea myself.)_

* * *

"Finally, a possible answer!" (Name) cheered quietly, bookmarking the page and making sure to write notes. She wrote key terms like _Marveen Twenson_ , _winter solstice_ , and a place called _(Unintelligible)_. At long last her research was bearing fruit- all she needed was a bit more time. Next chance she had she was going to divulge this information to Suga. But for now she would ask Yahaba to hold the books that she hadn't gotten the chance to look through behind the counter. 

_**Tip** _

**_Tap_ **

**_Tip_ **

**_Tap_ **

"(Name)-chan! There you are!" Prince Oikawa's voice calls to her from a few feet away. The female turns to face him, curtsying respectfully as a greeting. Iwaizumi isn't accompanying him at the moment- perhaps he's sparring with the royal guard again- leaving the prince alone. The brunette draws closer to her, in order to gaze at the text she's reading. His mouth forms a small 'o' shape, eyes flashing in recognition. "Fables hm? Oh wait- you're reading about the blood moon? Scoot over please- I need to see this." She obliges, sliding over on the oak bench, allowing him to sit beside her- then passes him the book. While he reads, she scribbles down every event that happened during her time in Seijoh. The slaughter and summoning circle in Blue Forest at the forefront of her mind. If only she could have examined the area further- unfortunately the entire clearing had been cleaned up- King Oikawa couldn't bear to leave the bodies out in the open, without a proper burial. 

**_(Name's) Notes:_**

  * _Blue Forest; summoning circle- thinly drawn w/blood, messy lines- as if done in a hurry, presumably used to summon the beast behind the first attack._
  * _Blue Forest; bodies- all missing tongues, eyes, and AT LEAST one or two limbs. Smaller organs seemingly removed prior to death- but blood loss doesn't seem to be cause of death. Bodies within/closest to circle are barely in tact- it seemed as if they were eaten by the beast._
  * _Connections between Seijoh and Uprising: blood moon, types of beasts, missing people, organization._
  * _Hidden Agenda- clues are being given to us, but by who?_
  * _Traces of group lead back to Shiratorizawa- possible that they originate from that area; how does Twenson's entry correlate? Possible similar rituals being used._
  * _Skilled mages (particularly illusionists) are amongst their ranks; research needed on different clans and neighboring nations. FIND PEOPLE WHO COULD HARBOR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DARK MAGIC!!!_



"This is... unsettling, that a book written centuries ago could hold such accurate information about this topic." Oikawa whispered, flipping through the tome. "You'll have to tell Mr. Pleasant (who was he speaking of? Suga?) about this- I'm sure he'll want to know!" The brunette eyed her from the corner of his eyes. "But that's actually not what I came here to talk to you about." (Name) paused her writing so that she could pay attention to him. 

"Is something the matter Your Highness?" 

He smiled at her concern. "Aside from our current dilemma, no, everything's great! It's just that the common folk are feeling demoralized with our own helplessness in this situation." (Name) remained silent, choosing not to comment on the self deprecating gleam that shone from within his brown hues. "So... that's why we're hosting a grand ball!" He gave her a closed eyed smile, expecting beaming words, unfortunately for him (Name) was well versed in such events- to the point that she no longer grew excited at them. 

"Not to overstep, but out of genuine concern I believe I should at least mention it. Is this not a security risk? We know little to nothing of our foe- what if this ball allows them right into the palace?" The smile faded back into a firm line, Oikawa's eyes opened- and she was able to see the hidden exhaustion that he so adamantly refused to show anyone but a select few. 

"It's not an oversight on our part and don't worry about overstepping." He let out a nearly silent puff of air, "we're actually holding the event because we need an actual reason- by that I mean one that can be announced to the public- as to why Shiratorizawa's most elite is coming to Seijoh." 

She blinked in slight surprise- Eita had responded much faster than expected."I'm glad Lord Semi accepted, can I assume that Sir Tendo and His Highness, Prince Ushijima will be accompanying him?" 

"Unfortunately yeah, Semi refused to come without them- but that's not necessarily a surprise." It was cute, she thought, the prince's pouting expression made him look like a chipmunk. "But enough about them- I wanted to let you know that we'll be providing you a specially made dress for the ball! As my date you'll need to look the part! Oh- not that you're not pretty enough, just that we need you to fit the whole royal aesthetic." Should she feel insulted or flattered? At this point she really didn't know. Some charmer he was, he could have at least made the demand sound less tactless. Ah, well, there was no point in taking it to heart, it was clear Oikawa's own belonged to someone else (though he seemed to not be aware of that himself). 

"I see, thank you for your continuous generosity, I'll make sure to properly thank His Majesty the next time I have the opportunity to." (Name) said cooly, ignoring the way her mind was running miles a minute. In addition to her research she would also need to squeeze in time for measurements, makeup trials, hair styling appointments, and a brief brush up on appropriate ballroom etiquette. Majority of the things on this new list wasn't even up to her, but she knew it was important to take into account. 

"I'll have a maid let you know when this all needs to happen. Thanks again for your hard work! Have a good evening (Name)." Oikawa stretched, but in a way that was graceful (a rare talent that was easily able to identify someone as a noble); with a wave of his hand he departed from her presence. (Name) stewed in her thoughts for a while, before finally seeking out Yahaba and leaving the library for the first time since she had arrived. 


	11. CH7: The Night of the Ball

**A/N: Oh to be (Name). Listen to[this](https://youtu.be/nH3m-_5GlAg) while reading!**

* * *

" **Y** ou look absolutely ethereal (Name)!" Oikawa praised as he took in her appearance. His date was donned in a stunning sky blue ballgown; the neckline was decorated with white sapphire morning glories, and the skirt was spattered with countless small white sapphires as well- so that it made her sparkle beneath the candlelight. The uppermost layer was made of silk crepeline (a lightweight, fine silk) while the lower layers were yumissima- an incredibly expensive, light, synthetic fabric that was only produced in Seijoh. The gown was designed to look as if it were floating on air- no magic runes required. Each step she took made it appear as though the skirt was rippling like water. Her (color) hair was half up half down, so that the pinned up portion kept her golden, double band tiara in place. This tiara was on loan from the royal family itself- but it was more of a low key one than anything, resembling a headband instead of the standard tiaras most royal women preferred. Unlike her gown, this tiara didn't cut any corners- instead of white sapphires, it was decorated with authentic diamonds- ones that could only be imported from Dateko. 

"Thank you Your Highness, you look very handsome yourself." She replied, there was no denying it, the prince of Seijoh was quite the looker. He was donned in a white silk long-skirted coat, which was highlighted with sky blue embroidery- made to resemble vines- with morning glories decorating them. This theme continued onto the waist coat- whereas the breeches remained without the patterning almost entirely- with the exception of the hems of the pants. If she wasn't mistaken their attire was made to match each other perfectly. 

"How sweet of you! Now shall we be off? Our guests are awaiting us." She placed her bare hand in his own gloved one and took his arm at once. 

* * *

**??? P.O.V**

"Ugh this is so boring- why are we here again?" A tall fellow whined to his companion- who was elegantly sipping his wine, unbothered by the loud quartet that played on the opposite side of the wall, along with the male's whines. The man sighed into his wine glass, before passing a small serving of short cake to his whiny friend. 

"We are here to improve relations with Seijoh. Your predecessor was inept and decided to forgo all diplomatic obligations entirely, so it's up to us to make reparations." 

"Ohhh- you're so smart-" The taller males praises went unheard amidst the rising volume coming from the ballroom. It would prove to be a long, eventful night to come.

* * *

"You're a natural at this (Name), none of my past dates have ever been able to hold such a stimulating conversation with me or any guests before." The prince whispered appraisingly into her ear, had she been any less experienced with frivolous flirts, it may have sent chills down her spine. Instead, she merely smiled.

"I wish I could say it was merely a talent of mine-" she paused in her speech to send a false smile to a few, creepy nobleman that had been eyeing her. "In actuality it's all thanks to my upbringing and the many other balls I've had the liberty to attend on my travels." She had been to a great many balls, in fact, each nation she visited she's been invited to at least five. Nowadays- more often then not- she attended at least two royal balls per country. 

The brunette cocked his head in interest, letting loose a low chuckle. "Aww, now you're just making me jealous! You know what? I'll bet tonights ball will be unlike any you've ever witnessed before! Seijoh's just special like that." His cockiness surprised her- not that it should have, him being known for it and all- but she couldn't say it was unwelcome. 

"Oh really now? I sincerely hope so Your Highness, it'd be a shame if you failed to live up to your word." (Name) hummed, Oikawa made a look of surprise- it was the first time since they met that she'd ever been so bold. To be honest, he quite liked this newly unveiled side of hers. 

"I wouldn't dream of it-" Their small bonding moment was interrupted by the appearance of a third party- much to his displeasure.

"Prince Oikawa... (Name)- it's good to see you." The third party was none other than Crown Prince Ushijima Wakatoshi of the Kingdom of Shiratorizawa. He was accompanied by none other than the noble mage Semi Eita and his courageous knight, Tendo Satori. Due to their well known relationship, they were both openly latched onto his (beefy) arms. The non royals (including [Name]) all bowed/curtsied to the prince that stood across from them. 

"Ah... Prince Ushijima, I'm so glad you could make it." (Name) glanced at her date from the corner of her eye, it was clear to her that he was less than pleased with the other royals presence, briefly she wondered just how true that maids rumor was. "Lord Semi... Sir Tendo, it's always a pleasure to see you two as well. Thank you for coming." 

"Thank you Your Highness, we feel the same." Semi replied, meanwhile Tendo just smiled eerily. They were all aware that Oikawa's words had another meaning- he was also thanking them for coming to Seijoh's aid. However, those other matters couldn't be discussed out in the open like this.

"I hope that the trip went well- _you journeyed through the Blue Forest right_?" To any onlooker, it would seem as though they were just making pleasant small talk, but to anyone in "the know" it was clear that Oikawa was asking a very specific question. That question being if there was any demonic beast trouble.

"No, thankfully there was no trouble at all, the transition from our Violet Forest to your Blue Forest was seamless." Ushijima replied bluntly, as if there was nothing hidden in his words- he was awfully good at this, she thought, but then again he just had a way with words. No, she wasn't saying that he was particularly creative with them, just that he was able to word his statements in a way that was always truthful- even when he needed to embed a secret, unspoken message into them. Ushijima was straight up telling them that he hadn't spotted any signs of demonic beasts. 

"Mhm- it was so peaceful and quiet, made me wonder if all the animals had begun hibernating early." Tendo whispered, his mouth didn't move at all- still in a lackadaisical smile. He looked as if he hadn't spoken at all, any eavesdropper who heard would probably just assume they misheard or imagined it. (Name's) eyes widened just a fraction, before she schooled her expression back to normal. It was natures sign that something was to come- for it was currently spring, a time when no animal would be hibernating. For the forest to be silent like that meant something was certainly a'foot.

"I'll bet that the spring breeze made the trip all that much more pleasant!" The (hair color) added, eyeing the small crowd of nobles that stood nearby- all of which had been (not so subtly) watching them. "Oh Your Highness, I so adore this melody!" 

"Is that so? Well then, excuse us gentlemen, but I do believe I owe the lady a dance." The trio waved them off, feigning contentment as they watched the prince of Seijoh spin around the very person that they had longed after for nearly three years. 

* * *

"Good thinking (Name), those noblemen have always been too nosey in my opinion." Oikawa spoke over the music, happily spinning the two of them around, his right hand pressed against the small of her back, whereas his left held her own hand tightly in his. They were pressed together chest to chest as they danced, occasionally he would twirl her around before bringing her back into his hold. Both of them would be lying if they said they weren't enjoying it. "But let's not think of them right now, I would much rather relish in the feeling of you in my arms."

(Name) could tell his words were truthful, so she didn't say anything against them. "Perhaps it should have been expected, but you are quite an exceptional dancer Your Highness." The tempo of the music began to speed up a little, causing their own pace to quicken. They waltzed in a box like pattern before he spun her once more, then they began walking in a line, the other guests parting and/or halting to watch them dance. It was a dizzying, yet enjoyable effort- the both of them smiling widely and gazing into each others eyes. This, she thought, was going to be a lovely friendship. Soon the song came to a close, leaving the two of them standing in the center of the ballroom breathless. They were brought back into reality by the loud applause of their audience, to which they thanked by bowing and curtsying. As the next song began, the crowd departed and began separating into pairs again.

"Prince Oikawa, your father wishes to speak to you." Iwaizumi grunted sidling next to the pair. Truth be told, the pince looked irritated at the news, but he went along with it anyway. "I'll accompany (Name) until you return." 

"Very well, excuse me (Name)." The brunette released the girls hand after placing a delicate kiss a top it. Then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd. (Name) didn't bother watching him, honestly looking forward to spending some time with Iwaizumi. 

"I haven't seen you in a while Iwaizumi, how are you doing?" She asked the male, shamelessly taking in his appearance. He was wearing formal knights attire- a navy blue woolen tunic with golden buttons and a plethora of decorative medals, as well as matching black woolen trousers. The only thing setting him apart from the sentries was the special golden accented sash he wore- one that signified him as the princes personal guard. His normal spiky hair was slicked back, making him look even more handsome than usual. 

"I'm doing alright." He replied, offering her a soft smile, he held out his arm. "Would you like to accompany me to the refreshment room? I'm not much of a dancer." (Name) was a little disappointed that she wouldn't be getting the opportunity to waltz with the olive eyed male, but she had a feeling that he wasn't too comfortable in formal settings like this. 

Hooking her arm into his, she nodded. "Sure, I'm feeling rather peaky at the moment, I think a break from dancing would be a welcome reprieve." They would have been a lovely pair- had their attire complimented each other- unfortunately navy blue and sky blue did not mesh well together. Perhaps if her dress had some navy blue accents... (Name) didn't dwell on the matter a moment longer, too enraptured by the heavenly scent of freshly baked confectionaries. A handful of other nobles were present, but for the most part the room was empty. She decided to sample some of the chocolate filled milk bread, not minding the shared silence between her and the knight. 

"How are you enjoying the ball?" The raven haired male questioned, passing her a cup of coffee. She smiled at his gesture, glad that he remembered her preference for the beverage over tea. If she recalled correctly she had only told him about it once- in passing no less. Accepting the offering, she lifted the steaming drink up to her lips, blew softly, then took a small sip. It warmed her down to her core, the creamer in it making it taste like vanilla wafers.

"It's certainly as fantastical as I had expected- if not more so." Her (color) eyes darted over to her partner, not missing the ever so slight way his body relaxed at her words. "You've probably been too many of these over the course of your life. Does it ever cease to amaze you?" 

The retainer licked his lips, eyes focused on his cup of tea. "Not really, no. I see how much work and time is put into each of these balls... if I ever got used to them... it'd be like I was discrediting everyone who worked so hard for it." (Name) was taken aback by his sincere confession, she had never thought to think of it that way. 

"Wow Iwaizumi... I've never thought of it that way." She pretended as if she didn't see the way he looked up at her with rapt attention. "You're just as good of a person as I've heard... it's the little things- that small appreciation- that really reveal a persons true character." (Name) said with all the sincerity she could muster, for it was true.

"Thank you (Name)," the raven responded, a smile donned his face at her words. "I hope the prince hasn't been too troublesome tonight. I saw you both spoke with Prince Ushijima... His Highness doesn't usually get along with him too well." Ah, she realized what he was doing, changing the subject to Prince Oikawa so that they wouldn't speak of himself any longer. 

"I picked up on that actually, aside from that encounter- he's been wonderful company. One of the finest ballroom dancers I've had the pleasure of waltzing with." Odd, (Name) mused, there was a look in Iwaizumi's eye just now. It was a mix between pride and something else- a darker emotion then he seemed to be comfortable with letting on. Briefly she pondered if it was jealousy, but then again she might have just been reading too far into it. 

"I should hope so. His mother was a talented dancer.” He said instead, regaining her attention. She didn't know much of Seijoh's late queen, only that she was beloved by her people and a beautiful woman- naturally the girl was eager to learn more. "You didn't know did you? Yeah, Her Late Majesty used to be a dancer in the Morning Sun Theatre. She was a cult favorite, people would come from all over the continent to watch her dance. Of course, this was before she was courted by His Majesty, but she never did lose her passion for dance... It's probably thanks to her genes that the prince can dance so well." 

(Name) was shocked, an acclaimed dancer turned queen- such things were only heard of in fairy tales or labeled as 'scandals' in the tabloids. But, she assumed, it could be different in Seijoh- a country which prided itself on their exceptionally talented arts programs and facilities. "So I see, talent runs in the family. Thank you for sharing this with me." 

"It's nothing really- it's the least I could do." She sent him a questioning gaze, imploring him to say more. "Oikawa... he's been different since you got here... more genuine... I don't know how you did it but whatever it is... keep doing it." His tan cheeks were dusted with a barely visible pink hue, clearly he was embarrassed to be saying this.

"You flatter me Iwaizumi... but I'll make sure to do my best... for both His Highness and you." Her response seemed to reassure him, since the blush faded away. He shot her a genuine smile, silence settling between the two of them. "Do you thi-"

"Sir!" Another knight interrupted, huffing slightly in the doorway of the refreshment room. He was one of the knights who were on duty tonight, if the light chainmail he wore was anything to go off of. "A group of drunken nobles are causing a disturbance in the ballroom, we require backup!"

"Of course it has to happen right now." The retainer grumbled, downing the remainder of his tea in a single gulp. "I'm sorry for this (Name), we can talk later." He stood and bowed in apology, before striding away. (Name) watched him go, spirits dampened. She wouldn't hold it against him, knowing some nobles were difficult to deal with. Once her coffee was finished and the milk bread eaten, the (hair color) rose, heading back out into the ballroom. She made idle chatter with common folk and nobility alike before ascending the stairs and slipping out onto the balcony.

It was a large space, illuminated by moonlight and overlooked the entirety of the royal gardens. (Name) relished in the crisp evening air, enjoying the feeling of the polished stone railing against her forearms. The amalgamation of sounds and scents overtook her senses, though it did not overwhelm her at all; instead it left her feeling content. Delightful aromas originating from the nearby kitchen, sweet fragrances stemming from the gardens below, the reverberating melodies of the quartet in the ballroom, and the winds howling of the outdoors all came together in one magnificent combination. [As she busied herself with her ruminating](https://youtu.be/oaemonszWV8), another joined her on the balcony, his shadow engulfing her own entirely. 

"I hope I'm not imposing." A sonorous male voice said, shaking the girl out of her thoughts. She didn't bother to look at him, rather enjoying the view. 

"You're not imposing at all, I'm just taking a breather from the bustle of the ball." She pat the railing as a form of invitation. "The gardens are well cared for." He joined her on the rail, leaning against it- only now did she glance at him. The man had the darkest shade of black hair she'd ever seen, pale luminescent skin, and glowing gunmetal blue eyes. His attire was entirely foreign to the region- black, cotton gafeng pants, dirt brown turtleneck tank top, matching knee length wool cape, and polished boots. It definitely was not ball appropriate, but something about the male wearing the clothing made it look nearly regal. Moonlight didn't provide the best lighting but (Name) was sure that she saw traces of a tattoo on his biceps. "I'm (Name) Arrowthorne."

Tall dark and handsome smiled politely then introduced himself in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Arrowthorne, I'm Akaashi Keiji." The two of them felt that the others name was familiar, but couldn't quite remember why. "The gardens are lovely," he agrees with her previous statement, "I'm fond of the clematis flowers." They both looked down and eyed the white flowers that had begun climbing the balcony. Its flowering vines proved to be especially beautiful when accentuating the smooth stone surface. "Many find them to be a pest... but I think there's something wonderful about their ingenuity." Akaashi spoke softly, as if he were afraid to disrupt the blooming flowers.

"That's a lovely thought process." (Name) replied, looking away from the flowers in order to look the male in the eye. He remained calm and collected but adjusted ever so slightly so that he could fidget with his fingers. "My favorite is the wisterias." Akaashi's gaze follows her outstretched finger, which was pointing at the sole wisteria tree. It's on the edge of the garden, hiding a single bench beneath it's lavender-blue, flowering curtain. 

"Is there any reason for that?" He queries, to some it might have sounded blunt enough to be rude, but (Name) felt as though he was genuinely curious. 

"Actually there is! My home has an abundance of wisterias... so just the sight of them makes me feel at ease." She turns to meet his gaze, "it's a bit silly isn't it?" 

To her surprise he shakes his head. "I think that's a sweet answer." Suddenly something clicks in his head, a memory from years back. 

* * *

_"How are you feeling Mr. Nightshade?" A much younger Akaashi questioned. He had been tasked with watching over Tetsuro Nightshade's road to recovery by the village elder. Their main healer was currently in another region, restocking on herbs. This was his first big 'test' so to speak, to see just how capable he was. "Do you need more salve?" Tetsuro didn't respond, instead he began talking in his sleep- absolutely dead to the world outside of his head._

_"Nngh...dance?... not in the wisterias... (N-name)...haha"_

_Seeing that his patient was actually having pleasant dreams for once, Akaashi left him alone. The older boy didn't have much that made him smile these days, so the young healer was determined to at least let him have this._

_"Goodnight Mr. Nightshade, sweet dreams."_

* * *

"Is something wrong Akaashi? You zoned out for a moment there." (Name) said, looking at the male worriedly, unaware of the memory that he had just relived. "I didn't bore you that much did I?" 

Akaashi blinked a few times, letting out an embarrassed chuckle. "No, I'm sorry I just had a passing thought." It was silly to think that this (Name) was the same one that Tetsuro had dreamed of years ago. Tetsuro's (Name) was probably back in Wanderia at the moment, maybe she was with him at this exact second, chasing away the nightmares that had once troubled him. Yes, the healer quite liked that thought, he hadn't heard from his old patient since he last said goodbye to him at the border of Fukurodani and Nekoma, so nice thoughts like these were conjured in order to keep his worry at bay. 

"Can I know what that thought was? Or is it a secret?" (Name) teased, winking at him playfully. "I wouldn't want to pry." Was she mimicking his voice? Maybe she was. It may have been out of character for him, but the dark haired male decided to play along. It wasn't like he would see her after this event, so he decided he could pretend to be as confident as Bokuto. 

"I was thinking about how lovely you look under the moonlight." He said smoothly, smirking ever so slightly at the way (Name)'s eyes widened. Internally he was scared he came off as too forward and that his advancements would scare her off.

"Oh? I'm sure you'd know best in that regard huh? Mr. tall dark and handsome-" (Name) fired back, encouraged by the way her new friend turned pink at the compliment. 

"I do actually... and I was wondering if you would spare me a dance?" He bowed lowly, causing his cape to fan out around him, his right hand held out for her to slip her own into. Briefly he wondered if the swooping bow was too much.

"Hmph... well if you insist- but only one." The (hair color) responded in a faux snotty voice, placing her hand in his and curtsying. 

"I'll make it worth your generously granted time." He teased, though the message was sincere in itself- luckily she seemed to understand.

"We'll see about that." 

They waltzed to the faint tune that the quartet played from the ballroom, truthfully they must have looked like quite an odd pair. With Akaashi looking like any other traveler and (Name) resembling a literal princess, but they enjoyed it nonetheless. It was a comfortable yet, enthralling affair, with him twirling her then pulling her back in- so fast that it would have sent any normal person to their knees. Funnily enough, (Name) liked this fast spin, it sent her heart racing- the main routine itself was smooth and without error, not once did Akaashi trip over her dress's hem. She especially admired the glow of his irises- they were one of the most captivating eyes she had ever gazed into- actually this man in general was one of the most attractive she had ever met. He was on the same level as Rin-Rin, Prince Oikawa, and Eita (which is the highest level)! The songs outro came much too soon in her opinion, leaving the two of them near breathless from their dance. 

"I hope I lived up to your expectations." Akaashi murmured, pressing a kiss to her knuckles before pulling away. His words earned him a peal of laughter from the noblewoman.

"You certainly did- and more." She agreed, gently pulling her hand away. "I hope to see you again Akaashi, it's been a pleasure." Once more, she curtsied. 

"Perhaps someday, have a good rest of the night Miss Arrowthorne." Now it was (Name)'s turn to leave and someone else's to watch her slip from their grasp. Once she rounded the corner and was out of sight Akaashi turned back around to admire the garden. Maybe, just this once, he could let someone else in. 

If any onlooker saw a brief flash of light- and what looked to be an angel departing from the balcony- no one believed them. 

* * *

To Conclude: (Name) returned to Oikawa's side and spent the rest of the ball mingling with him and his guests. The ball was a giant morale booster to the general public- all of which had no idea as to why only Shiratorizawa royalty had been invited. (Name) would- upon returning to her room for the night, once the ball concluded- realize that the male she met might have been the same 'Agaashi' that Tetsu had mentioned in his letters. She would later tell Prince Oikawa that he was right, indeed this ball was a memorable one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I left out Karasuno intentionally. Why? Because juggling Karasuno, Shiratorizawa, IwaOi, and Akaashi didn't sound too appealing ;( Also I have never been to a ball in my life and have no experience with ballroom dancing so sorry about the terrible description there


End file.
